Mathura-Vrindavan Saints Rally Behind Premanand Maharaj After Ramabhadracharya’s Remarks

Mathura: A fresh twist has emerged in the ongoing controversy after saints from Mathura and Vrindavan came out strongly in support of Premanand Maharaj, a day after Jagadguru Ramabhadracharya questioned his spiritual stature.

On Sunday, Ramabhadracharya, Tulsi Peethadheeshwar and a Padma Vibhushan recipient, had said, “If Premanand Maharaj has any miraculous powers, let him speak a single word of Sanskrit in front of me. Let him explain the meaning of any verse that I recite. His popularity is short-lived. He is like a child.”

The remarks triggered a wave of criticism from the religious fraternity, with several saints describing them as disrespectful. By Monday, many leading voices from Mathura and Vrindavan had publicly backed Premanand Maharaj, saying the comments were born out of arrogance.

Sadhu Madhusudan Das said, “Ramabhadracharya has grown proud of his knowledge. To make such comments about a divine saint like Premanand Maharaj is condemnable. Devotion is not measured by language. People from across the world come to Vrindavan for bhakti, whether they speak Chinese, French or any other tongue.”

Saint Abhidas Maharaj of Vrindavan said, “Ramabhadracharya’s remarks are not appropriate. Premanand Maharaj is a divine saint of this age. He has always stood against hypocrisy and has guided lakhs of youth away from bad paths. It is not becoming of a learned scholar to speak in this manner.”

Dharmacharya Anmol Shastri from Mathura also criticised the tone of Ramabhadracharya’s comments. “This kind of pride is not good. Premanand Maharaj may not speak Sanskrit like Ramabhadracharya, but he has reached the hearts of the youth. He is the pride of Braj,” he said.

Adding to this, Acharya Ramvilas Chaturvedi stressed that humility is the hallmark of saints. “The tradition of saints is to meditate on the divine, to guide society with calmness, and to engage people in prayer and yajna. Putting down another saint does not fit with this tradition,” he said.

Supporters of Premanand Maharaj point to his simple lifestyle and devotional focus on Radha-Krishna. They argue that his influence is seen in the large number of young people drawn away from harmful habits and towards bhakti. Critics, however, question his lack of scriptural training, something that Ramabhadracharya highlighted in his comments.

Ramabhadracharya, regarded as a scholar of Sanskrit and the Ramcharitmanas, has said that the property of his ashram belongs to God and that he considers himself only a caretaker. His followers defend his remarks as concern for maintaining the sanctity of tradition.

Meanwhile, the controversy has spilled over to social media, where devotees of both saints have launched heated debates. Videos of Ramabhadracharya’s comments and rebuttals by saints of Vrindavan and Mathura are circulating widely, drawing thousands of reactions. The online exchanges have only amplified the row, with hashtags supporting both sides trending across platforms.