User:Davidschlabach/Sandbox

Swami Kripalvanand was born on January 13, 1913 to pious Hindu parents Jamnadas Majmudar and and Mangalaba. They lived in the town of Dabhoi, which is close to Vadodara in the eastern part of the state of Gujarat in western India. His childhood name was Saraswatichandra. Coming from a very large family ( there were nine children), poverty forced him to withdraw from school when he was only 14 years old. He loved music and the reading of the upanishads. He went to Bombay when he was 18, hoping to find work. It was in Bombay that his destiny and life mission would unfold. In his heart he felt a yearning desire to merge with the absolute. Starting at an early age, his longing for the lotus feet of the Lord was very intense, so intense that he tried to take his own life.. It was during a fourth attempt at suicide that he met his Guru, Lord Lakuilish, who later revealed himself to be the 28th incarnation of Lord Siva. He initiated young Saraswatichandra on the highest path of yoga. For the next 240 days and nights he studied under Lakuilish's direct instruction. His final initiation was 40 days and 40 nights of seclusion, chanting and fasting,  young Saraswatichandra( also called Bapuji) received initiation from Lakuilish( also called Dadaji). One year later, Dadaji left, leaving Bapuji to follow the path alone. Brokenhearted, only his guru's promise to see him again when he renounced his worldly desires sustained him. It wasn't until 1952 that his promise was realized when Dadaji reappeared in his true yogic body in the form of a beautiful young man. Two years later, Dadaji again appeared to inspire his sadhana. It was this final meeting that guided Bapuji into his intense 10-hour-a-day practice of Kundalini mediation, which he continued for the remainder of his life.