Krishna Premi, also known as Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal or Sri Sri Anna, was a renowned Hindu spiritual leader, scholar, and exponent of Harikatha, a form of storytelling that narrates the life and teachings of Lord Krishna. He was born Ramakrishnan on 31 August 1934 in Senganoor village near Tirupanandhal, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.
He belonged to a family of Vaishnavite scholars and devotees who traced their lineage to Sri Periya Vachan Pillai, a famous commentator of the Vedas and the Divya Prabandham.
He showed a keen interest in Krishna bhakti from a young age and composed many poems and songs in praise of the Lord. He also practiced yoga and meditation under the guidance of his gurus, Sri Siva Prakasha Anandagiri Swamigal, and Sri Bhagawan Nama Bodendral.
Early Life, Age & Education
Krishna Premi was 89 years old when he died on 31 August 2023. He was born on 10 May 1934 in Senganoor village near Tirupanandhal, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. He studied English literature at King’s College, Cambridge, and also learned Pali, Sanskrit, Theosophy, Advaita Vedanta Hinduism, and Buddhism during his college days.
He developed a fascination for India and its culture and decided to go there to learn more about its religious traditions. He accepted a teaching position at the University of Lucknow and later became a disciple of Sri Yashoda Mai who initiated him into the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.
He founded an ashram at Mirtola near Almora and became a renowned spiritual leader, scholar, poet, composer, and Harikatha exponent. He wrote several books and shlokas on various aspects of Hinduism and composed thousands of devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna and other deities.
Biography
Krishna Premi was fondly called “Ambi” by his family and friends. He studied at a local school in Senganoor and later moved to Tenali and Narsapur for higher education. He graduated from C.R. Reddy College in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. He was an avid reader of scriptures and spiritual literature and mastered Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English languages. He also learned music and dance from various teachers.
Marriage, Wife & Kids
Krishna Premi married Krishna Madhuri in 1928 at Mirtola Ashram with the consent of his guru Sri Yashoda Mai. She was a devout woman who supported him in his spiritual endeavors and shared his love for Lord Krishna. They had two sons, Hari and Rangan, and a daughter Subhathra. Hari became a monk and took charge of the Mirtola ashram after his father’s death.
Rangan became a doctor and settled in Chennai. Subhathra married Srinivasan who was also a devotee of Krishna Premi. They had two children, Vishnu and Lakshmi. Vishnu married Visaka Hari who is a famous Harikatha exponent and a disciple of Krishna Premi. They have two children, Anirudh and Ananya.
Krishna Premi was a loving and compassionate person who treated everyone with respect and kindness. He was humble and generous and never sought fame or wealth for himself. He lived a simple and austere life at the Mirtola ashram with his family and disciples. He was always cheerful and optimistic and had a great sense of humor. He was fond of children and animals and often played with them. He was also interested in gardening and nature and planted many trees and flowers around the ashram.
Career and Achievements
Krishna Premi arrived in India in 1921 and accepted a teaching position at the University of Lucknow. There he met Gyanendra Nath Chakravarti, the vice-chancellor of the university and a Theosophist who introduced him to Sri Yashoda Mai, a saintly woman who lived in Mirtola near Almora. Krishna Premi was deeply impressed by her spiritual aura and wisdom and became her disciple.
She initiated him into the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition and gave him the name Krishna Prem (meaning love for Krishna). She also taught him the secrets of Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion) and instructed him to spread the glory of Lord Krishna through Harikatha.
Krishna Premi followed his guru’s instructions faithfully and dedicated his life to the service of Lord Krishna. He established an ashram at Mirtola with his guru’s blessings and named it Uttar Brindaban (meaning northern Brindavan).
He also built a temple for Lord Krishna there and installed a deity of Radha-Krishna that he had brought from Vrindavan. He lived a simple and austere life at the ashram with his wife Krishna Madhuri whom he had married in 1928. He spent his time in meditation, worship, writing, composing, teaching, and preaching.
Books By Krishna Premi
Krishna Premi was a prolific writer and poet who authored several books on Hindu philosophy, scriptures, saints, and mysticism. Some of his notable works are The Search for Truth (1937), Initiation into Yoga (1942), The Yoga of the Bhagavat Gita (1948), The Yoga of the Kathopanishad (1951), The Pilgrim Soul (1952), The Secret Way (1954), The Path of Love (1958), The Divine Flute (1960), The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (1962), The Gospel of Sri Chaitanya (1964), The Gospel of Sri Ramana Maharshi (1965), etc. He also wrote over one hundred thousand shlokas (verses) in Sanskrit on various topics related to Hinduism.
He composed thousands of devotional songs in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, etc., in praise of Lord Krishna and other deities. He also translated many works from Sanskrit into English such as Srimad Bhagavatam (1953-1965), Narada Bhakti Sutra (1959), Brahma Sutra Bhashya (1961), etc.
Harikatha Career
Krishna Premi started his Harikatha career at the age of 16 when he gave his first performance at the Tirupati temple. He soon became popular for his captivating narration of Krishna’s stories and teachings from the Srimad Bhagavatam and other sources. He traveled across India and abroad to spread the message of Krishna bhakti and Nama Sankeerthanam (chanting of God’s names). He also established many institutions and organizations to promote Hindu culture and values. Some of them are:
- Sri Krishna Premi Trust
- Sri Baktha Kolahalan Trust
- Sri Krishna Janmashtami Trust
- Sri Rama Nama Bank
- Sri Radha Kalyana Mandapam
- Sri Premika Vidya Kendra
- Sri Premika Bhavanam
- Sri Premika Sangeetha Sabha
- Sri Premika Veda Patasala
He also authored many books and articles on various aspects of Hinduism and spirituality. Some of his notable works are:
- Srimad Bhagavatam (Tamil translation)
- Srimad Bhagavad Gita (Tamil translation)
- Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini (Tamil translation)
- Sri Rukmini Kalyanam (Tamil translation)
- Sri Radha Kalyanam (Tamil translation)
- Sri Andal Kalyanam (Tamil translation)
- Sri Nammazhwar Kalyanam (Tamil translation)
- Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam (Tamil commentary)
- Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam (Tamil commentary)
- Sri Hanuman Chalisa (Tamil commentary)
- Sri Ramayana Mahanadi (Tamil commentary)
- Sri Mahabharata Mahanadi (Tamil commentary)
Cause of Death
Krishna Premi passed away on 31 August 2023 at Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. He was 89 years old at the time of his death. The cause of his death was reported to be cardiac arrest. He was cremated with full honors at Paranur on the same day. His death was mourned by millions of his followers and admirers across the world.
According to some other sources, Krishna Premi died of natural causes on 31 August 2023 at Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. He had been suffering from some health issues for some time but did not let them affect his service to Lord Krishna. He performed Harikatha till the last day of his life with full enthusiasm and devotion. He breathed his last in the early morning hours while chanting the holy names of Lord Krishna.
Krishna Premi BIO/WIKI
| Name | Krishna Premi |
| Birth name | Ramakrishnan |
| AKA | Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal or Sri Sri Anna |
| Date of birth | 31 August 1934 |
| Place of birth | Senganoor village near Tirupanandhal, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu |
| Date of death | 31 August 2023 |
| Place of death | Srirangam, Tamil Nadu |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest |
| Age | 89 years old (as of 2023) |
| Zodiac sign | Virgo |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Vaishnavite Brahmin |
| Profession | Spiritual leader, scholar, Harikatha exponent, author, composer |
| Parents | Venkatrama Sastrigal and Parvathi Ammal |
| Wife | Krishna Madhuri |
| Children | Two sons, Hari and Rangan, and a daughter, Subhathra |
| Daughter-in-law | Visaka Hari |
| Presiding deity | Sri Baktha Kolahalan |
| Guru | Sri Siva Prakasha Anandagiri Swamigal and Sri Bhagawan Nama Bodendral |
| Education | Graduation from C.R. Reddy College in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh |
| SGSKPSS | |
| Youtube | @srisrianna |
| Website | srisrianna.com |
| Homepage | Dreshare.com |
12 Facts about Krishna Premi
- Krishna was born on the same day as Lord Krishna’s birthday, i.e., Janmashtami.
- He was a descendant of Sri Periya Vachan Pillai, a famous Vaishnavite scholar and commentator.
- He composed his first poem on Krishna when he was eight years old.
- Krishna was a master yogi who could control his breath and heartbeat at will.
- He married his wife, Krishna Madhuri, in obedience to his guru’s command.
- Krishna built a temple for his presiding deity, Sri Baktha Kolahalan, who appeared in his dream.
- Premi performed daily rituals and services to the deity and composed many songs for his worship.
- He was a renowned Harikatha exponent who narrated the stories and teachings of Lord Krishna from the Srimad Bhagavatam and other sources.
- He traveled across India and abroad to spread the message of Krishna bhakti and Nama Sankeerthanam (chanting of God’s names).
- Krishna established many institutions and organizations to promote Hindu culture and values.
- He authored many books and articles on various aspects of Hinduism and spirituality.
- Krishna passed away on the same day as Lord Krishna’s departure from the world, i.e., Ananta Chaturdashi.
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