Yogrishi Swami Ramdev Ji was born to Smt. Gulab Devi and Shri Ram Niwas in a village in Haryana. He received his early education in a village school. At the age of 14 he was admitted to the Gurukul at Kalwa (near Jind, Haryana) where he studied Sanskrit and Yoga. He earned a postgraduate (Acharya) degree with specialisation in Sanskrit Vyakarana, Yoga, Darshan, Vedas, and Upanishads, under the guidance of Acharya Shri Baldev ji. Later, Swami Ji was inspired by the life and writings of Maharishi Dayanand. He studied Satyarth Prakash and RigvedadiBhasyaBhumika thoroughly. Along with the magnetism of Maharishi Patanjali as an exponent of Yoga, Swami Ji continued to be influenced by Sanskrit grammar and Ayurveda.
From an early age, he had a clear sense of purpose and committed himself to a life of celibacy and asceticism. Following a period of teaching Yoga, Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, and Patanjali’s Mahabhashya at Gurukuls, Swami Ji set out on a journey to the Gangotri caves of the Himalayas, seeking solitude away from worldly distractions.
The propagation of Yoga and Ayurveda and reformation of the social, political, and economic system of India. Luckily, he met Acharya Balkrishna Ji, a kindred soul and schoolmate who was on a similar quest. They came together to begin this huge task
Swami Ji took upon himself the onerous responsibility of demystifying and popularising Patanjali’s Yoga, while Acharya Ji devoted himself to the task of restoring people’s faith in the efficacy of the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Swami Ji’s main focus is on making the people of India, as well as around the world, adopt Yoga and Ayurveda as their lifestyle. His approach to treating ailments and disorders is pragmatic, undogmatic, and non-sectarian. Swami Ji has explained the benefits of Yoga in two popular Hindi books:
In his Yoga camps attended by thousands of participants from all over the country, he emphasises on doing eight Pranayamas:
1.Bhastrika 2. Kapalabhati 3. Bahya / Agnisar 4.Ujjayi 5.Anulomaviloma 6.Bhramari 7.Udgitha 8.Praṇava
He also emphasises ukṣma (light) vyayamas, specific asanas for various ailments, as well as simple home remedies and Ayurvedic medicines. Within a short span of time, the results of Yoga and Ayurvedic therapy have been encouraging and astounding. People have taken to Yoga in a big way; they are doing it under the guidance of Yoga teachers trained and certified by Patanjali Yogpeeth. They are watching and following it on Indian TV channels such as AASTHA, ZEE TV, STAR and SAHARA. They are also learning Yoga with the help of audio-video material prepared by Patanjali Yogpeeth. Swami Ji explains the Yogasutras of Patanjali in his book Yogadarsana, in simple Hindi.
Giving shape to his dreams, Swami Ji founded Divya Yoga Mandir (Trust) in 1995 at Kankhal, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India followed by Brahmakalpa Chikitsalaya, Divya Pharmacy, Divya Prakashan, Divya Yog Sadhana, Patanjali Yogpeeth (Trust), Haridwar, Mahashaya Hiralal Arsh Gurukul, Kishangarh Ghaseda, Mahendragarh, Haryana, Yog Gram, Bharat Swabhiman (Trust) and many more.
Yoga takes care of physical, mental, and spiritual health. However, the social, political and economic system of the country can be improved through patriotic zeal, fearlessness and strong character, of which Swami Ramdev Ji is a living example. He launched the Bharat Swabhiman Movement encompassing the ground realities of the Indian social, political, and economic scene. He has given a clarion call to people to come forward and strengthen the country and democracy. Swami Ji wants to see an addiction-free, vegetarian and corruption-free India, proud of its Swadeshi products. His mind may be soaring in the ethereal spheres of spiritualism, but his feet are planted firmly on Earth where he is very much alive to concerns such as soil treatment and enrichment, cow breeding and protection, as well as Ganga cleaning.
