Premanand Maharaj Spiritual Journey: From Aniruddha Kumar Pandey to Vrindavan's Radha Naam Saint

Last updated: July 2, 2026 · A life-story guide from NaamJaap · Also read: 28 Names of Radha Rani told by Premanand Maharaj

The spiritual journey of Premanand Ji Maharaj is one of the most remarkable stories in modern Indian spirituality. A boy from a small village near Kanpur who walked out of his home at thirteen, a young sannyasi who spent years in severe austerity on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi, and finally a Radha Vallabhi saint of Vrindavan whose 2am padyatra now draws thousands of devotees — his life is a living answer to the question he asked as a child: if everything in this world is temporary, what is worth living for?

This article traces his journey stage by stage — from his birth as Aniruddha Kumar Pandey to his present life of satsang at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj — and ends with the teaching he repeats in almost every satsang: the daily, counted practice of Radha naam jap.

Early Life: Aniruddha Kumar Pandey of Sarsaul, Kanpur

Premanand Ji Maharaj was born as Aniruddha Kumar Pandey in Akhri village, Sarsaul block, on the outskirts of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His family was a modest, deeply pious Brahmin household. His grandfather had taken sannyasa, his father Shri Shambhu Pandey was devoted to sant-seva and later also accepted sannyasa, and his mother Shrimati Rama Devi held great reverence for saints. His elder brother recited the Shrimad Bhagavatam aloud, and the whole family would sit and listen.

In such a home, devotion came before anything else. By the fifth standard, young Aniruddha was reading the Gita Press Sukhsagar. And with that reading came questions that most children never ask: Is the love of parents everlasting? If it is not, why chase happiness that ends? What use is schooling that teaches how to earn but not how to live? To find answers, he began chanting Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram and Shri Krishna Govind Hare Murari — his first naam jap, done quietly, as a schoolboy.

Leaving Home at 13: The Brahmachari Years

By the ninth standard, the decision had matured. He told his mother he intended to give his life to the search for God. Then, one early morning at around 3am, the thirteen-year-old walked out of his home — barefoot into an unknown life, never to return to worldly living.

He was initiated into naishthik brahmacharya (lifelong celibate discipline) and received the name Aanand Swaroop Brahmachari. Not long after, he accepted sannyasa and, upon receiving the mahavakya, became Swami Anandashram. The renunciation was total: he refused the settled life of any ashram and accepted only aakashvritti — eating only what came unasked, by the mercy of God, without any personal effort to obtain it.

Tapasya on the Ganga: The Varanasi Years

Most of his years as a young sannyasi were spent on the ghats of the Ganga, wandering between Haridwar and Varanasi, with long periods around Assi Ghat in Kashi. The Ganga became a second mother to him. His discipline in those years is hard to imagine: three baths in the river every single day, even in the harshest winter; days of fasting when no food came; a body shivering with cold while the mind stayed absorbed in meditation on the formless Brahman. Devotees who narrate his life say that within a few years of sannyasa he was blessed with the grace of Lord Shiva himself.

Yet even this was not the destination. One day, while meditating under a tree in Varanasi, he felt an inexplicable pull toward the glory of Vrindavan. Around the same time, a saint persuaded him to attend a month of Raas Lila organised by Swami Shri Sriram Sharma — Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's lila in the mornings, Shri Radha-Krishna's Raas Lila at night. That one month changed everything. He could no longer imagine a life without these divine pastimes. Soon after, with the help of a disciple of Shri Narayan Das Bhaktmali, he boarded a train to Mathura — not yet knowing that Vrindavan would keep his heart forever.

Vrindavan and Shri Hit Radha Kripa

He arrived in Vrindavan knowing no one. His daily routine was simple: Vrindavan parikrama and darshan of Shri Banke Bihari. At the Banke Bihari temple, a saint told him he must also visit the Shri Radha Vallabh temple — and there, standing for hours before Radha Vallabh Lal, the sannyasi began turning into a lover of Shri Radha.

The Goswamis of the temple noticed him. Shri Hit Mohit Maral Goswami Ji once recited a verse from the Shri Radha Ras Sudha Nidhi; despite knowing Sanskrit well, the young Swami could not grasp its inner meaning. The Goswami encouraged him to chant the holy name of Shri Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu. The next morning, during parikrama, he found the name flowing on his own tongue — his first direct taste of Shri Hit Radha kripa, grace that cannot be earned, only received.

The turning point came through a sakhi he heard singing during parikrama: "Shri Priya-vadan chhabi-chandra manau, preetam-nain-chakor..." Setting aside the strict codes of sannyasa, he asked her the meaning. She smiled and said: if you want to understand this verse, become a Radha Vallabhi. He went straight to Shri Hit Mohit Maral Goswami Ji and received initiation into the Radha Vallabh Sampradaya with the Sharanagat mantra. Soon after, he met his Sadguru, Shri Hit Gaurangi Sharan Ji Maharaj, who initiated him into Sahchari Bhav and Nitya Vihar Ras. He served his Sadguru closely for ten years, living on madhukari (alms from Brajwasi homes), and became completely absorbed in devotion at the lotus feet of Shri Radha. Swami Anandashram had become Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj.

The 2am Padyatra and Life at Keli Kunj

Today Maharaj Ji lives at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj in Vrindavan, and his daily rhythm has become famous across India. Every night around 2am, he steps out for his padyatra — a slow walk through the lanes of Vrindavan toward the ashram. What began as a solitary discipline now draws thousands: devotees line the route through the night, shower flower petals, and chant "Radha Radha" just to see him pass for a few seconds. For many, that brief darshan in the dark is the most cherished moment of their pilgrimage.

The rest of his day follows the same devotional clock — bhajan and seva in the early hours, morning satsang where he answers seekers' questions with startling directness, and continuous remembrance of Shri Radha's name. Celebrities, cricketers, and politicians visit him, and he tells them exactly what he tells the poorest villager: without naam jap, nothing else will save you.

Kidney Illness: Tapasya of the Body

What makes his daily routine more astonishing is that Maharaj Ji has lived with failed kidneys for many years, sustained by regular dialysis. He speaks of the illness with complete cheerfulness — he has even lovingly named his two kidneys "Radha" and "Krishna" — and refuses to treat the disease as suffering. Doctors had once given him a short prognosis; decades later, he continues satsang every single day, telling devotees that the body's pain cannot touch one whose mind rests in Shri Radha's name. For lakhs of people, his illness is not a footnote to his journey but proof of his teaching: naam is stronger than the body.

Timeline of Premanand Maharaj's Spiritual Journey

Stage	What Happened
Birth & childhood	Born Aniruddha Kumar Pandey in Akhri village, Sarsaul, Kanpur; devout Brahmin family; begins jap as a schoolboy
Age 13	Leaves home at 3am; initiated as naishthik brahmachari (Aanand Swaroop Brahmachari)
Sannyasa	Becomes Swami Anandashram; years of austerity on the Ganga at Varanasi; aakashvritti; blessed by Lord Shiva
Turning point	One month of Raas Lila; irresistible pull toward Vrindavan; train to Mathura
Vrindavan	Radha Vallabh Sampradaya diksha; Sadguru Shri Hit Gaurangi Sharan Ji Maharaj; 10 years of guru-seva; life on madhukari
Today	Satsang at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj; nightly 2am padyatra; continues despite kidney failure and dialysis

His Core Teaching: Radha Naam Jap

Ask Premanand Ji Maharaj any question — about depression, marriage, money, death — and the answer circles back to one practice: chant Shri Radha's name, every day, with count. His guidance is strikingly practical:

Naam over rituals. Elaborate puja without love is an empty shell; one sincere naam spoken with love reaches Shri Radha directly. (Read more: benefits of crore-level naam jap.)
Fix a daily count and never break it. He asks householders to commit to a fixed number of malas daily — even a modest count kept without fail transforms the mind faster than occasional intensity.
No qualification needed. No diksha, no purity test, no Sanskrit — anyone, in any condition of life, can start Radha naam today. The name itself purifies the chanter.
Radha naam is the door to Krishna. In the Radha Vallabhi understanding, Krishna himself longs to hear Radha's name — chanting it wins both. (See chanting Radha naam for Krishna connection.)
The 28 names for wishes. He has also given devotees the 28 names of Radha Rani, whose sincere daily recitation is believed to fulfil heartfelt wishes.

His journey and his youth-focused satsangs have pulled an entire generation toward bhakti — a phenomenon we covered in how Premanand Maharaj inspires youth towards bhakti.

How to Begin, Inspired by His Journey

You do not need to leave home at thirteen or bathe in a winter river. Maharaj Ji's own instruction to householders is far gentler: pick a name (Radha, Ram, or your ishta's name), fix a daily count, and keep it without a single break. Count on a 108-bead mala, or use the free online naam jap counter right in your browser. If you chant on the go, a counter app keeps your lifetime count safe:

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the real name of Premanand Maharaj and where was he born?

Premanand Ji Maharaj was born as Aniruddha Kumar Pandey in Akhri village, Sarsaul block, near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, into a devout Brahmin family. After sannyasa he was known as Swami Anandashram, and following his initiation into the Radha Vallabh Sampradaya in Vrindavan he became Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj.

Why did Premanand Maharaj leave home at the age of 13?

From childhood he was troubled by the impermanence of worldly happiness and wanted a direct answer to the purpose of human life. After informing his mother of his decision, he left home at around 3am one morning at age thirteen, took naishthik brahmacharya, and soon after accepted sannyasa to devote his entire life to God.

What illness does Premanand Maharaj have?

Both of his kidneys have failed, and he has been sustained by regular dialysis for many years. He has lovingly named his kidneys "Radha" and "Krishna" and continues his daily satsang and 2am padyatra, teaching that one whose mind rests in Radha naam is untouched by the body's suffering.

What is Premanand Maharaj's daily routine and 2am padyatra?

He rises long before dawn and walks his famous padyatra through the lanes of Vrindavan at around 2am, as thousands of devotees line the route for darshan. This is followed by bhajan, seva, and morning satsang at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj ashram, where he answers devotees' questions and leads remembrance of Shri Radha's name.

What does Premanand Maharaj teach about Radha naam jap?

His central teaching is to chant Shri Radha's name daily with a fixed count and unbroken consistency. He holds that naam jap is greater than any ritual, requires no qualification or diksha to begin, and that chanting Radha's name pleases Shri Krishna himself. He also recommends the daily recitation of the 28 names of Radha Rani for the fulfilment of sincere wishes.