Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is the sole 5th Jagadguru of this age. He is a Jagadguru not by any right of inheritance to a monastic seat but by the virtue of his transcendental, spiritual merit and profound and prodigious authority over holy scriptures like the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Gita, the Ramayan and the Ramcharita Manasa. It was on 14th January 1957 that the KASHI VIDVAT PARISHAD-an august and formidable body of five hundred scriptural scolars and each an expert of  his own branch of study- decided to crown him with the hallowed title of "Jagadguruttam". the best ever Jagadguru, after having heard him extensively for 9 days on end.   They proclaimed him Ved Marg Pratisthapanacharya, Bhakti-Yoga Rasavatar, Sanatana Vaidika Dharma Pratisthapana Satsampradaya Paramacharya, Bhakti Yoga Rasavatar, Bhagavadananta Shri Vibhusit in addition to the title already stated.   In this way, Shri Maharaj Ji stands in the distinguished and celebrated primal line of Jagadgurus like Adi Shankaracharya(about 2500 years ago), Shri Shri Nimbakacharya (8th century A.D), Shri Shri Ramanujacharya (12th century A.D) and Shri Shri Madhvacharya (14th century A.D). Blessed indeed and exceedingly worthy of adoration is the family in which a Blessed, godly and liberated soul takes birth. One such family was the devout and pious family of Pandit Shri Shri Lalita Prasad Tripathy and Srimati Bhagabati Devi at Mangarh village of Pratapgarh district in Uttarpradesh, India, to whom Shri Maharaj Ji was born as their third son on the auspicious night of Sharad Purnima, Vikram Samvat 1979, corresponding to the night of 5th October 1922. The day of his appearance has an auspicious historical significance in the fact that the Supreme Godhead , Lord shri Krishna had consummated His Divine Maharaasa on the same Sharad Purnima night about 5000 years ago.