Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri. Sri Yukteswar, was born in 1855 and, at that time, had been given the secular name of Priya Nath Karar.

He was born from wealthy parents and during his early adulthood he got married and invested his heritage in properties. He entered the Swami order after the death of his wife, and from that time on he dedicated his life to studying, learning and teaching. He divided his time between two ashrams; one in Puri and one in Serampore. Sri Yukteswar did not meet his guru Chyama Charan Lahiri early in his life.

He was initiated by him in the practice of kriya yoga in his adulthood, and, later, authorized to give the holy initiation as well.

Amongst his disciples, Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, Sri Satyananda and Paramahansa Hariharananda are the most famous ones.

Swami Maharaji consciously left his body when he was 81 years old, while meditating in the lotus posture. His body is still buried in his Ashram where a shrine was built. His grave may be visited still today

Swami Maharaji did not write a lot during his passage on earth. Only two books written by him are known: The holy Science - written in 1894 and a commentary upon the first six chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita.

The "holy science" was written after Babaji himself had asked Yukteswarji to complete a work showing the eternal truths and similarities hidden both in Christian and Hindu religions. This task was performed perfectly, and, still today, this book is published by Self-Realization Fellowship in many languages amongst which English, French, Italian and Japanese. The same books contains a wide astrological interpretation about the unfolding of the universe.

Sri Yukteswar, after many researches discovered a mistake in the Hindu almanac. He said that there is an equinotial cycle of 24.000 years through which universe's evolution unfolds. each sub-cycle is called "Yuga".
Evolution unfolds from era to era like a circle. "Kali Yuga" is the period of ignorance, lasting 1.200 years ( more or less from 500 a.c. to 1.700 a.c. ).

Dwapara Yuga is the electrical age, lasting 2.400 years ( more or less from 1.700 to 4.100 a.c. ).
Treta Yuga in the mental age, lasting 3.600 years ( more or less from 4.100 to 7.700 a.c. ).
Satya Yuga will be the most evoluted age, lasting 4.800 years ( from 7.700 a.c. to 12.500 a.c. ). At this point, the involution starts, and takes place in a reverse order. ( Satya yuga from 12.500 a.c. to 17.300, Treta Yuga from 17.300 a.c. to 20.900 a.c.,

Dwapara Yuga from 20.900 a.c. to 23.300 a.c., kali Yuga from 23.300 a.c. to 25.500 a.c. ). This process is practically endless. The more evolute the era, the easier is for people to get liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth..