 akhandananda saraswati (called "maharajshri" by his followers) (1911â1987) was an exponent of bhagavata purana and a scholar of diverse spiritual traditions including vedanta, bhakti, and associated shastras(scriptures). == early days == he was born on friday, july 25, 1911 in pushya nakshatra (shravana amavasya v.s. 1968 per vikram calendar) in the village of maharai in the district of varanasi. according to the lunar calendar, it was the amawasya of the month of shravan, in the samvat 1968.shri gita rasa ratnakar published by swami prabuddhanand saraswati his saryupaarine brahmin family named him "shantanu behari", since he was born by the grace of the lord shantanu bihari justice bipin chandra mishra, glimpses of life divine, page 8, sat sahitya prakashan trust, 1968. according to the book "shri gita rasa ratnakar", astrologers predicted at the time of his birth, that his lifespan was only nineteen years. fear of death made him move towards the path to spirituality. he was ten years old when his grandfather made him read the original bhagwat in sanskrit. since then the shrimad bhagwat stayed by him like a faithful companion.shri gita rasa ratnakar published by swami prabuddhanand saraswati prior to his sanyas, from 1934 to 1942, he was a member of the editorial board of "kalyan" at the gita press and published a number of books and articles. he translated bhagavata purana in hindi for the gita press. == ascetic life == in his youth, he went to jhusi, to meet brahmachari prabhudatta, a saint. there, he met udiyababa, and had discussed vedanta. he was captivated by udiyababa's conviction in the principle of non-dual reality. he received initiation for sanyas (monkhood) from the shankaracharya of jyotishpeethadhishver, brahmanand saraswati in february 1942, following which his name was changed from shantanu-vihari dwivedi to akhandananda saraswati.shri gita rasa ratnakar published by swami prabuddhanand saraswati during the 1960s, he was elected president of the bharat sadhu samaj, an indian organization of monks. he mentored many monks including past and present shankaracharyas. he was an honorary board member of the bhartiya vidya bhavan, a global organization founded in 1938 to preserve and promote indian culture.bharatiya vidya bhavan, honorary board members list on the bhavan's website, office bearers page. he was regularly invited for delivering lectures at bhartiya vidya bhavan's headquarters in mumbai, as well as by other organizations around the country, including prem puri adhyatma bhavan (mumbai), birla house (kolkata), birla temples (delhi and other cities) and j.k. temple (kanpur). he authored over 200 books 
1911_births 1987_deaths Advaitin_philosophers Contemporary_Indian_philosophers Hindu_gurus Hindu_monks Hindu_mystics Hindu_philosophers Hindu_sages Hindu_saints Indian_religious_leaders Indian_spiritual_writers Indian_writers People_from_Varanasi_district Vedanta