Spreading the Light of Yoga: Swami Rajarshi Muniji Contribution to Global Yoga Awareness

Abstract

On February 11, 1931, Rajarshi Muniji Swamiji was born in Porbandar into a Kshatriya household. After completing his education at the Rajput Boarding in Limbdi, he went on to study for his BA at Shamaldas College in Bhavnagar and his MA at Pune University. On his birthday in 1971, Swamiji gave up his house and accepted diksha from Swami Kripalvanand in 1970. He later participated in \"yogsadhana.\" He devoted his life to the development and popularisation of yoga. Swamiji founded ashrams in the United States, Haridwar, and Gujarat. In addition, he wrote a number of works in Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, and English. Additionally, he received the Prime Minister\'s Yoga Award in 2019 for his exceptional efforts to advance and grow yoga. His legacy as a spiritual leader who brought traditional yogic wisdom into contact with the contemporary global community is reflected in this paper.

Introduction

Devisinhji Samatsinhji Jadeja—later known as Rajarshi Muni—was born on February 11, 1931, into the royal Jadeja family of Shapar in Saurashtra. After completing his master’s degree from Deccan College in 1953, he served as a government officer in Saurashtra from 1954 to 1962. Although he practiced yoga from a young age, he continued searching for a true spiritual guide. This search ended when he discovered the teachings of Swami Kripalvanandji, a disciple of Lord Lakulish. Swami Kripalvanandji accepted him as a disciple and initiated him with mantra diksha on June 26, 1969. Rajarshi Muni completed the rigorous fifteen-month sadhana by October 1970, received shaktipat diksha, and was initiated into sannyas on February 19, receiving the name Rajarshi Muni.

Establishment of the Yoga Institute

Guided by Swami Kripalvanandji, Rajarshi Muni was entrusted with establishing a systematic yoga education center. He designed the institute’s infrastructure, academic structure, and teacher-training programs. The yoga institute was inaugurated on November 13, 1976, immediately beginning its first instructional sessions.

Work on Shaktipat, Teaching, and Writing

Alongside intense sadhana, Rajarshi Muni supported Swami Kripalvanandji in conducting five dhyan shibirs and began guiding other practitioners. He wrote extensively for spiritual publications and authored major works, including My Yoga Experiences (1972), Yoga Experiences Part 2 (1975), and Dhyan Vijnan. At Swami Kripalvanandji’s request, he also contributed to the construction of the Kayavarohan temple.

Between 1978 and 1981, he documented over 800 spontaneous asanas and produced a monumental 1400-page treatise on yoga covering philosophy, metaphysics, classical Hatha Yoga, and practical methods. These writings were published as Awakening of the Life Force (1994), Yoga: The Ultimate Spiritual Path (2001), and later volumes under Classical Hatha Yoga (2007). His works were widely acclaimed, including recognition from the National Institute of Naturopathy.

Mastery of Khechari Mudra

Following Swami Kripalvanandji’s departure to America in 1979, Rajarshi Muni lived in seclusion, dedicating nearly ten hours daily to intense sadhana. After his guru’s return and passing in 1981, he became the head of the lineage. Between 1981 and 1993, although publicly inactive, he advanced spiritually in extraordinary ways. Within four years of receiving shaktipat, he achieved the rare and ancient Khechari Mudra, a feat considered unmatched in modern times.

Lakulish Prabodhan Abhiyan

A significant turning point came on February 15, 1993—his birthday and Mahashivratri—when Rajarshi Muni received a divine vision of Bhagwan Lakulish. He shared this revelation publicly and, after two years of planning, launched the Lakulish Prabodhan Abhiyan, a comprehensive spiritual movement promoting the teachings of Lakulish and revitalizing yoga as a cultural and spiritual force.

Conclusion

Rajarshi muniji established life mission, Divyayatan magazine monthly, with the help of sadhana he did khechari mudra. In this period no other yogi has done mudra. He has established sanskar kendra in various cities. Highest Seminar on Yoga and propagate done by muniji not only to India but also various part of the world. Even foreigners took sanyas diksha under him. He established ashram and temple in jakhan, asha and bhela. Giving mantra diksha and saktipat diksha. Also maharaja of rajkot and his family took saktipat diksha from him. His various students received gold medal, silver medal in yoga from Lakulish Yoga institute and University as well. He has many short term certificate course on Yoga, cultural, Karma Yoga, gyan yoga, ashtang, research, ashtanga Yoga for kids, trikal sandhya. He stirkly follow the scriptures and perform mitahara in his whole life which help him to gain fast result in his sadhana. He used to do sadhana for more than 10 hours in a day. In the book classical hatha yoga all the asana are performed by him that too spontaneously in his sadhana where he wrote each asana physical, subtle, spiritual benefits and also written which particular prana is strengthening . He has performed more than 700 asana. His contribution to the scripture, literature and yoga is phenomenal.

References

[1] Swami Rajashi muni (2007), classical Hatha yoga, Vadodara; Gujarat, life mission. [2] Swami Rajarshi Muni, 2013, karma yoga, Life Mission Publication [3] Swami Rajarshi Muniji, 2014, Santan Dharma and the way to God, Life Mission Publication. [4] Guruparampara [5] Arunaba Jadeja, 2015, ???? ??? ?, ?????? ???? ?????, Life Mission Publication. [6] Life mission

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Dr. Aishwarya H Jadeja. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.