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Brahmananda Saraswati (1868 - 1953) was born into a Brahmin family in the village of Gana, near Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, North India. At the age of nine he left home to follow a spiritual path of renunciation. At around the age of 14, in Uttar Kashi, he found his master, Swami Krishanand Saraswati. Later, on his masters instructions, he retired to a cave, resolving not to emerge until he had attained enlightenment. In 1902 he was initiated into the order of "Sanyas" by his Master at the Kumbh Mela.
In 1941, after decades of silence, Brahmanada Saraswati finally accepted an invitation to be first Shankaracharya (spiritual head) in 150 years of Jyotir Math in India. Adi Shankara, the great reviver of Vedic Sanatan Dharma, had four principle followers, Padma-Pada, Hasta-Malaka, Vartika-Kara and Trotaka who each established a monastery in the north, south , east and west of India. Jyotir math is the northern monastery. Swami Brahmanada Saraswati was the spiritual master of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who became his devoted devotee shortly after his installation and later his personal assistant. The Transcendental Meditation programme and movement respect and revere "Guru Dev" as Paramguru.