Gurudev Shri Sthit Pragyanand Ji is also known as the 'Happiness Guru.' Acting upon the directives of his enlightened Bade Gurudev, he conducted 35 years of intensive research and study across various facets of life to devise a roadmap—known as 'JeeSa Therapy'—aimed at fostering a stress-free, problem-free, and blissful existence; a system that has proven to be a true boon for leading a happy life.
Gurudev Shri Sthita Pragyanand Ji (S.D. Vaishnav) was born in 1961 in the village of Bhadsoda, in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan. A meritorious student from childhood, he possessed a special interest in mathematics, physics, and cosmology.
You obtained a Bachelor's degree in Science in 1982 and a Master's degree (M.Sc.) in Mathematics in 1984. Selected for the banking service in 1985, you commenced your career as a Bank Manager. After 36 years of highly successful service—marked by distinguished achievements and by setting a sterling example of dedication and integrity—you retired in 2021 from the position of Senior Manager.
Certain events and circumstances that occurred during Gurudev's childhood sparked within him a deep curiosity to understand human life; he would constantly ponder: what ought to be the purpose of life?
What are the reasons behind a person's various thoughts and behaviors?
The curiosity to find answers to numerous questions—pertaining to success and failure, illness, stress, birth, and death—inspired him to pursue research and study as early as 1978, while he was still in the tenth grade.
By the year 2002, you had obtained answers to nearly all inquiries pertaining to both the material and spiritual aspects of life. Having discovered the secrets to making life enriching and blissful, in 2003, you resolved to serve the common people based on the principle of "No Fame, No Money."
From 2003 to 2010, he began offering his services every Sunday at his residence. From 2011 to 2020, services were provided from rented premises; subsequently, upon retiring from the banking sector in 2021, he launched a nationwide and global campaign—operating from the institute's own premises —to promote a stress-free and happy life through "JeeSa Therapy" (Jeevan Se Sakshatkar) —a therapeutic approach he personally developed.
Gurukripa
Gurudev Shri Sthit Pragyanand Ji has been blessed with the special grace of the Divine since his very childhood. Throughout his life, he has experienced the presence of divine power on numerous occasions. He firmly believes that his meeting with his Guru was, in itself, a manifestation of this special divine blessing—an act of grace that effortlessly rendered him worthy of receiving the blessing of a Himalayan-dwelling, exceedingly rare, Truth-realized, and divine Saint. It was this very grace of the Guru that became the foundation of his spiritual journey, and it was this same grace that awakened within his inner being a sacred spirit of selfless service for the welfare of humanity. This divine grace first began to unfold in the year 1968.
When you were seven years old, you would frequently run away from home to join your grandfather—who was living in exile—at a temple. One day, while in his presence, you were singing *bhajans* accompanied by the harmonium. At that very moment, your Grandfather's Gurudev—Shri Trinetrabhilashi Ji Maharaj—arrived; we reverently address him as "Bade Gurudev."
His divine vision recognized the extraordinary spiritual potential of the young Shambhudas (Gurudev), and he accepted the boy as his disciple at that very moment. The Senior Gurudev expressed his desire to Dadaji to take the boy along with him; however, acceding to Dadaji's request, he did not bestow the initiation into *Sannyasa* (monasticism) immediately, but instead imparted spiritual initiation while the boy remained in the state of a *Grihastha* (householder).
Thus, even in your childhood, the grace of a divine saint set you upon the path of spiritual practice and the welfare of humanity. Bade Gurudev resided primarily in the Himalayas; meetings with him would take place only once every ten to twenty years. Bade Gurudev was a highly realized Brahmaghani saint. Among his many extraordinary attributes, one remarkable ability was that of assuming a subtle body.
The Sansthan Members and their family members have witnessed direct proof of this: You, the Great Gurudev, stayed at the Institute in a subtle form for three days—from September 5, 2023, to September 7, 2023. During those three days, the members of the Institute experienced Your subtle presence in the form of a divine fragrance. Some perceived the cooling scent of sandalwood; others sensed the soft and sweet fragrance of roses; while still others experienced a wondrous blend of all these scents combined.
Some people experienced a divine fragrance—a sensation they had never encountered before in their lives—as if it were emanating not from any earthly source, but from a higher spiritual realm.
वे क्षण वास्तव में अप्रतिम और अविस्मरणीय थे। देहातीत अनुभूति और सूक्ष्म-देह में यात्रा के विषय में शास्त्रों में पढ़ा और कथाओं में सुना अवश्य था किंतु यह अनुभूति की वर्तमान युग में भी ऐसे दिव्य संत विध्यमान हैं जो हिमालय से सूक्ष्मदेह में कहीं भी आकर साधकों को अपना सानिध्य प्रदान कर सकते हैं यह बात सभी के लिए आश्चर्य एवं परमानंद का विषय थी।
The members of the Institute have reverently recorded and preserved the experiences and sentiments of those days, ensuring that—from time to time—they may recall those divine moments and once again experience that same fragrant and spiritual atmosphere. Even today, while reading through those memories, the heart overflows with gratitude—for, by the infinite grace of the Lord, we were blessed with the rare privilege of attaining the subtle proximity of such a visionary saint, a soul truly rare in this age. It was during this very sojourn that Bade Gurudev bestowed initiation upon Gurudev, conferring upon him the name *Sthita Pragyanand*—transitioning him from his former identity as S.D. Vaishnav.
During his long and ascetic life, he remained embodied for approximately 165 years, and ultimately—on the auspicious day of Kartik Purnima, November 5, 2025—he departed for the Divine Abode with complete peace and of his own free will.
Under the guidance and directives of the Great Guru, research and study into a stress-free, blissful life were initiated; and through his spiritual blessings and inspiration, "JeeSa Therapy" (Jeevan Se Sakshatkar) came into existence.
