Swami Karpatri

Swami Karpatri (1907–1980) (so called because he would eat only what would come in his palm 'kara', as the bowl 'pātra'), was born as Har Narayan Ojha into a Saryupareen Brahmin family of a village called Bhatni in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.

He was a sannyasi in the Hindu Dashanami monastic tradition.

As a child, Swami Karpatri had no interest in worldly matters.

He was married to Srimati Mahadevi at the age of 9 in the year 1916.

Even after his marriage, he tried to leave his home in search of truth but failed.

His father said "I would allow you to leave home only if you become father of child and give us a grandchild"; a girl child was born, and Karpatri left his home at the age of 19.

He went to Sangved Vidyalaya and started his Sanskrit grammar education in 1926.

After this, he studied Vedanta and other darshanas from Swami Vishveshvarashrama.

In 1932, when he was in his late 20s, he debated with Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya on the topic Pranava (ॐ).

Unable to Answer Swami Karpatri's arguments, Malaviya accepted his defeat.

This incident was later published in the book "Mananiya Prashnottara".

On the day of Vijayadashmi, He established Dharm Sangh in the year 1940.

He travelled through all parts of India and established many branches of Dharm Sangh.

The Slogan was:

"Dharma ki Jaya Ho Victory to Dharma!

Adharma ka Nash Ho May Adharma Perish!"

He revived the lost traditions of Varanasi.

Dharm Sangh under leadership of Swami Karpatri helped the Noakhali victims of 1946 riots and provided them land, food and financial aid.

He re-converted Hindus who were forcibly made Muslims and gave them initiation under Rama-Nama.

He and his group was the first one to be jailed in Independent India.

Even before Independence, In the year 1947, he started protests and meetings from the month of April.

On the night of 14 August 1947, the members of Dharm Sangh were raising the slogans of "Bharat Akhand Ho" (May Bharat be united), All of them were jailed.

He was a disciple of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math Swami Brahmananda Saraswati.

He spent most of his life at Varanasi.

Other than DharmSangh, In 1948, Swami Karpatri founded the Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad (RRP), A traditionalist Hindu party.

On 18 April 1948, he founded the newspaper Sanmarg which promoted Sanatana Dharma and also advocated against the Hindu Code Bill and voiced opposition on cow slaughters.

The RRP won three Lok Sabha seats in the 1952 Lok Sabha election and two in 1962.

He led a movement against the Hindu Code Bill.

A debate took place in 1964; this one was between Sanatani Pandits and Arya Samaj.

Swami Karpatri was just a viewer in the debate, but he later joined the debate with Yudhisthir Mimansak.

Another debate took place in 1965 between Swami Karpatri and Madhva sampradaya sanyasi Sri Vidyamanya Teerth.

Sri Vidyamanya challenged people to defend Advaita Siddhanta.

Swami Karpatri accepted the challenge and the debate went on for 2 days.

As Vidyamanya Tirth Swami Ji posed insightful questions, Karpatri Maharaj Ji resorted to logical reasoning of vedanta.

He was also a prominent agitator in 1966 anti-cow slaughter agitation.

On the day of his demise in the year 1980 “Magh Shukla Chaturdashi”, he asked his disciples to sing the "Ayodhya Tyaga" story of Ramayana for him; he himself did the recitation of Sri Sukta and at the end by keeping the idol of Krishna on his chest, he died by reciting "Shiva Shiva Shiva" thrice.

Swami Karpatri maintained no-compromise policy with regards to Hindu laws and Shastras.

He was called Dharmasamrata (English: The Emperor of Dharma) by the masses.

Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati, the 145th Govardhan Peeth Shankaracharya of Puri, Odisha, is an eminent disciple of Swami Karpatri.

He initiated Alain Daniélou, a noted French Historian into Shaivite Hinduism under the name, Shiv Sharan.