Mahanidhi Swami (DOB 6 Feb. 1951) is a Gaudiya Vaisnava Babaji (sannyasi), and a teacher of Gaudiya spiritual truths, practices and perfection (siddhanta, sadhana, sadhya) since 1974. He’s authored 25 English & 11 Hindi spiritual books all about Sri Guru, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha-Krishna, and the Gaudiya holy places, diksa mantras, bhakti-yoga sadhana, raganuga-bhakti, Gayatris and Vaisnava biographies. He is an Indian citizen living 30 years continually in India at Sri Radha Kunda, Govardhana, Dt. Mathura Uttar Pradesh.
Biography:
Mahanidhi Swami grew up in New Jersey, the United States near the seaside. He studied medicine at Rutgers University (1969-1973) and moved to Los Angeles, California for further studies. Since becoming a vegetarian at the age of 18, he has studied many spiritual books and met many teachers during his search of a blissful God.
After studying the Bhagavad-gita, Ishopanisad, and the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he understood that life is meant for one thing only: attaining love of God, and the eternal service of Radha–Krishna in the spiritual sky.
In 1975, Srila Prabhupada (founder of Hare Krishna Movement) accepted him as a student, giving the name Mahanidhi Dasa. After ten years of celibacy and preaching Krishna consciousness, he took ISKCON sannyasa in 1985 as Mahanidhi Swami, which is his legal name.
Service in America
In 1981, Mahanidhi Swami organized and presented ISKCON’s very first Jagannatha Ratha-yatra in Washington D.C., United States, still going on. After serving his Guru in America for 12 years as a Gita and Bhagavata distributor (1975-1981); Ratha Yatra inaugurator; and Baltimore Temple President (1982-1986), he moved to India in 1987 to live in Sri Vrindavana Dhama.
Moving to India
In 1977, he visited Sri Navadvipa Dhama, Jagannatha Puri Dhama and Sri Vrindavana Dhama. When Swamiji saw Radha-kunda for the first time, he was completely astonished and mystified because that sweet darshana unveiled a hidden memory of a past life there. While sitting peacefully at Manasa Pavana Ghata, where Srimati Radharani daily bathes in Radha-kunda, a prayer and sankalpa spontaneously arose in Swamiji’s heart:
“O Srimati Radharani! I am a no one special, I am just one insignificant jiva. I don’t know how or why I am feeling this way. But I pray to You, O Radharani, please allow me to someday live on the banks of Your most beautiful and peaceful lake of pure love (Sri Radha-kunda), so I can eternally serve You and Your beloved Sri Krishna.”
From 1977 onwards he visited Vrindavana every year until 1986. In 1987, what he calls the “Vrindavana Fever”, or the burning desire to live in permanently in Radha-Krishna’s lovely Vrindavana, totally consumed all other interests and he moved to Sri Dhama Vrindavana.
In 1998, the most kind and compassionate Srimati Radharani blessed him with Indian Citizenship.
Bhajan Life in Vrindavana
From (1989-1992) he served and did bhajan in Srila Prabhupada’s personal rooms (bhajan kutir)in Seva Kunja within the medieval temple of Sri Sri Radha Damodara. In 2002, he moved to Sri Radha Kunda, where he lives within a beautiful forest bower dedicated to Srimati Radharani.
In 2014, 108 Pandita Sri Krishna Dasa Babaji Maharaja (vyakaran-vaisnava darshana tirtha), a most respected 99 year old saint doing Radha-Krishna bhajana and lila-smarana for 77 years in Vraja Dhama, awarded him sannyasa in the traditional Gaudiya Lineage of Sri Advaita Prabhu called the “Advaita Parivara”.
His spiritual name is now Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Dasa Babaji.
Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Dasa Babaji Maharaj regularly publishes books and uploads spiritual posts on bhakti yoga, namabhajan, guru seva, the glories of Srimad Bhagavatam, raganuga bhakti and love divine. His numerous books have been translated into many languages including Russian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, French, Marathi, Hindi, Bengali etc.
Every year since 1994, during Karttika Month (Oct-Nov), he has glorified Srimati Radharani, Her manjari maidservants, and the wonderful pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. Often classes are also given on Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Whenever the Indian Adhika Mas (also known as the Purusottama Month) appears, he also speaks about sweet glories, pastimes and manjari sevas of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. In 2012, Swamiji’s Adhika Month Katha on “Rasa Lila” was aired twice daily on India’s Sadhana TV channel, and viewed by 150 million people worldwide.
Swamiji is always writing books, and articles for the Internet on Radha-Krishna prema seva. Every Sunday (3-5pm) he conducts spiritual programs at his Radha-kunda ashram which are called “Sunday Satsanga”. These spiritual question-answer sessions with a few devotees are sourced from shastras, and sprinkled with a dose of transcendental humor. For those devotees who can’t present physically – livetsream on Mahanidhi Swami Official Facebook page is available and also the audios are uploaded on SoundCloud and mns.audio.com. with the title, “Sunday Satsang”.
Audio recordings of these classes are available on SoundCloud and mnsaudio.com.
Video recordings are available on Youtube channel.