Early Life: The revered Master was born on April 26,1861 ( Shukal Puranmasi of the Indian month of Chaitra) at 5 a.m. in a Brahmin family of Jaggu Ka Mora, a village of Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan). He was the only child of his parents. He had no memory of his mother and father- both died when he was a toddler. His name was Gobind for paternal grandparents, but he was called Lakshman by his maternal grandmother. He was brought up by his maternal grandmother in a village Ankara on the banks of the Jhelum river in Jammu. The maternal grandmother also died when he was ten. Somehow he sought the company of the learned saints and seers well-versed in Sanskrit. But he was a precocious child and made a quick progress in learning.    As a Jain Yati/ Monk : At the tender age of 17, the young seeker joined the company of Jain sadhus. At the age of 19, he became a Jain Yati. He undertook a deep study of the Jain scriptures which did not pin faith in God. He was an antagonist of God. Fortunately, he came by a book, ‘Adhyatmic Chikitsa’ which recommended “faith in God” as the pre-condition. He was 29, yet he had no faith in God. With silence on God, he undertook spiritual practices recommended in the book. During this period, Swamiji undertook all these spiritual practices at night during Chaturmas(4-month Rainy Season) at Ludhiana. These practices resulted in his firm belief in Sat-Chit-Anand (the True, the Conscious & the Blissful God). A sea change came in him. He became a firm believer in God. It was a turning point in his life. This Jain Yati decided to give up Jainism. But the senior Jain Yatis did not want to lose a convincing orator and a strong advocate of Jainism. He was offered positions in Jainism. But he declined. He gave up Jainism when he was in Malerkotla. He was 30 at this stage. He gave up Jainism on December 28 1891 and joined Arya Samaj at their annual festival.