Prem Rawat (Prem Pal Singh Rawat) whose devotees call him Maharaji (meaning Ultimate Ruler) first came to attention in the West as Guru Maharaj Ji - the self-proclaimed Perfect Master and Lord of the Universe ridiculed in the media as a fat, squeaky-voiced God boy. He had inherited his titles and position as the Satguru, The True Revealer of Light and Spiritual Master of the Divine Light Mission, India (Divya Sandesh Parishad) when his father died in 1966. His father, Hans Rawat, was a successful Indian guru, self titled HRH (His Royal Highness) Yogiraj Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj. As a child the youngest Rawat son was informally called Sant Ji, more formally Balyogeshwar ("Born King of the Yogis") and even more formally Param Sant Satgurudev Shri Sant Ji Maharaj. In the West Rawat dropped these more verbose titles in the early 1980's and instructed his followers to call him Maharaji. He has also changed the names of his organisations many times: Divine Light Mission (DLM), World Welfare Association (WWA), World Peace Corps (WPC) and Divine United Organisation (DUO) became Elan Vital in the early 1980's and in 2001 The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) was created and from 2010 his major orgs are Words Of Peace Global (WOPG) registered in Holland, Words of Peace International (WOPI) in the USA, HDSK (Human Development through Self Knowledge) in Great Britain and Raj Vidya Kender (Royal Knowledge Society) in India. He no longer claims to be an Incarnation of God but an internationally famous humanitarian leader and teacher of peace. He's neither.

arti_heading (10K)

Meditation begins in in the form of our Master
Adoration begins at the feet of our Lord
Concentration begins in the words of our Master          
Liberation begins in the Grace of our Lord



Jai Gurudev, Maharaj Ji,
Your glory fills the world
Protector of the weary and the weak
You bring the death of attachment
You bring the mind true detachment
Save us from the ocean deep
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Creator, Preserver, Destroyer
Bow their heads and pray to
You All bow and pray to You.
Scriptures sing Your glory
Scriptures sing Your sweet story
Your virtues are ever true
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Chanting, fasting, charity, austerity
Never bring you knowledge of the soul
Will never reveal your soul.
Without the grace of Satguru
Without the Knowledge of Satguru
Rites and rituals won't reach the goal
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

In the river of bondage to Maya
All are swept out to sea
All are sinking in the depths of the sea
Guru's boat is the Holy Name
Guru's ship is the Holy Word
In seconds He has set us free
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Anger, desires, attachments
Rob us of eternal life
Take away our heavenly life
Satguru gives True Knowledge
Satguru is Eternal Knowledge
The sword that kills our problem life
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Religions harp their own glories
Call me to follow their own path
Welcome me to follow their own way
The essence of all was revealed
The seed of all was revealed
I walk on the true way today
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Nectar from Satguru's feet
Is so holy and it cleans us of our sins
So sacred in cleaning us of sins
When He speaks darkness flies away
When He speaks darkness cannot stay
Doubts removed, new life then begins
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Mine, thine, wealth, health
Give them. to the Lotus Feet of Love
Give them to the Lotus Feet of the Lord
Give yourself to Satguru
Sacrifice your all to Satguru
Be united with the blissful truth
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Bible, Gita, the Koran
Sing the glory of your Name
They all sing the glory of your Name
Angels sing your glory
Heavenly hosts sing your praises
They find no end to your fame
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Desires have robbed me and left me
In the darkness of the night
Trapped me in the darkness of the night
Guru gives Holy Name and Light
Guru gives Holy Name and Sight
Cross the ocean by His love and light
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Many past forms you have taken
Now we have come in Your control
Again You have come to save the soul
In this time of darkness
To lead your devotees from darkness
You have come as Hansa the Pure Soul
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Come to the shelter of Guru's grace
Come with your heart and your soul
Bring Him your heart and your soul
Cross the worldly ocean
Cross it by your devotion
And attain the Supreme Goal
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Jai Gurudev, Maharaj Ji,
Your glory fills the world
Protector of the weary and the weak
You bring the death of attachment
You bring the mind true detachment
Save us from the ocean deep
Jai Dev, Jai Satgurudev.

Prem Rawat's "Knowledge" has three parts: regularly listening to his speeches, doing voluntary work for organisations serving him or donating money and daily meditation correctly practicing the four techniques he recommends. The techniques are so simple it's hard to see how they could be practiced incorrectly. First technique ("Divine Light") involves sticking your thumb and middle finger on your eyeballs (NB: with eyes closed) and your index finger between your eyebrows. Second technique: ("Heavenly Music") poking your thumbs into your ears and listening. Third technique: ("Holy Name") thinking about your breathing (NB: continue to breathe). Fourth technique: ("Nectar") curling your tongue backwards and tasting. Rawat's father taught slightly different techniques but either way it's difficult to see how these could produce the benefits claimed for them especially as Rawat claims His Knowledge is the only method of attaining real happiness and love in this life.