His Holiness Swami Vidyananda Giri Ji Maharaj, born on 29th November 1921 (Amavas day of the month of Margshirsha), is the Tenth Acharya of the Kailas Ashram. He ascended to the Kailas Peeth on 21st July 1969. Kailas Ashram has its headquarters at Rishikesh (Uttaranchal), India, at the foot of The Himalayas, on the bank of The Holy Ganges. Founded in 1880 by His Holiness Shri Swami Dhanraj Giriji Maharaj, It is a renowned Institute of Vedanta Research & Studies as propounded by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya. Swamiji has a rare amalgamation of the qualities of learning, governing, writing, teaching, planning, executing and hard working. Under his able leadership during the last 36 years, Kailas Ashram has made tremendous progress.
Swamiji is a living legend of the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta and has authored numerous Vedanta texts that have been highly acknowledged by those erudite in this field. His Sanskrit commentary on The Brahmsutra called ‘Vidyanand Vritti’ along with its Hindi translation is extremely helpful to those wishing to understand the kernel of the ‘Sharirak Bhashya’.
Swamiji’s commentary in Sanskrit namely ‘Chatratoshini’ on The ‘Chitsukhi’, one of the most convoluted Vedanta texts, has been acclaimed as a work without any parallel in the history of Vedanta writings. His Sanskrit commentary ‘Chatratoshni’ along with its Hindi translation on the great Nav-Nyaya work ‘Vyaptipanchakam’ establishes his absolute hold not only on the Vedanta works but also on the Nyaya texts. For those not able to comprehend the scriptures in Sanskrit Swamiji has written Hindi commentaries named ‘Lalita’ on The Geeta, The Brahmsutra and The Upanishads. The ‘Lalita’ encompasses the Shankar-bhashya and the sub commentaries of Ananadgiri and Govindananda respectively on these Prasthanas. His commentaries by the name of ‘Vidyanandi Mitakshra’ on the twelve Upanishads have enriched the Hindi language greatly. His commentary, both in Sanskrit and Hindi on ‘Sankshaep Sharirkam’, an exalted Vedanta text, is another landmark in the field of Vedanta writings. It goes without saying that Swamiji is one of the foremost writers on Advaita philosophy in the recent century.
The exclusive aim of human existence and the manifold practices of spiritualism is to realize God, the quintessence of Truth, Knowledge and Bliss, and break free from the repetitive phenomenon of birth and death that is the root cause of all despondency. Swamiji’s constant endeavor therefore, is not only to bring home this Truth, but also to bring about its realization in any one who sincerely seeks it from him.