Swami  Abhedananda  (1866 - 1939)

Author of several exquisite Sanskrit hymns on Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi – the most popular one being ‘prakritim paramam’- Swami Abhedananda was a rare combination of several talents like intellectual acumen, devotional fervour and yogic introspection. He was a good speaker and a prolific writer.Known as Kaliprasad Chandra in his pre-monastic days, he was born on the 2nd October 1866 in Calcutta to enlightened parents, both to whom were deeply devoted to Mother Kali. Even from his boyhood days, he was inclined towards the study of Sanskrit.

As he grew up he was drawn to the study of philosophical works, both eastern and western. His desire to become a yogi brought him to Sri Ramakrishna who immediately recognized him as a disciple of his inner circle. He progressed speedily in the inner life under the guidance of the Master.

After the demise of the Master, Kali accepted Sannyasa along with the other disciples and became ‘Swami Abhedananda.’ He was given to much study and contemplation during the early days of his monastic life earning for himself the nickname ‘Kali Tapasvi.’

When Swami Vivekananda wanted a proper assistant to continue the work in the West, he naturally thought of Swami Abhedananda.

His very first discourse on Advaita Vedanta delivered at London was an instant success. He later shifted to New York. He toured and lectured very extensively in the West (both U.S.A. and Europe) for a quarter of a century. His lectures attracted the cream of Western intellects as also earnest seekers of Truth. He returned to India in 1921 and formed a ‘Ramakrishna Vedanta Society’ in Calcutta to carry on his work in his own way. When he gave up the mortal coil on the 8th September, 1939, the era of the direct Sanyasin disciples of the Master came to an end.

Teachings

1. If you desire to have firm and unshakable faith and devotion to the Lord, you should also take to tapasya, hard austerities. Tapasya does not mean aimless wandering hither and thither, it really means regular and steadfast japa, meditation and self-control.

2. Why should you be afraid of doing work? If the mind is not purified by work, one cannot attain true knowledge. Wherever you go with your little mind, the mind will also accompany you and abide with you.

Swami  Adbhutananda  (D. 1920)

Swami Vivekananda once declared that Latu (the premonastic name of Swami Adbhutananda) was the greatest miracle of Sri Ramakrishna. If an orphan servant boy who had absolutely no knowledge of even the alphabets could rise to such a state of sainthood that scholars of great book-learning would sit at his feet and listen spellbound to his words of wisdom, it was nothing short of a miracle that Sri Ramakrishna brought about. Hence, the appropriateness of his name (adbuhta = wonder).

The early life of the Swami is shrouded in mystery. Born in a remote village of Bihar, and orphaned at a tender age, the boy was later brought to Calcutta by his uncle. Good fortune favoured him by getting him the job of a servant in the house of Sri Ramachandra Datta, a great devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. The religious atmosphere in the house helped unfold his religious temperament. The frequent errands to Dakshineswar brought him into close contact with Sri Ramakrishna who graciously accepted him as a disciple. Later on, as Sri Ramakrishna felt the need for an attendant, Latu started living with him and serving him. Since the guru was all in all for him, his service was exceptionally devoted.

After the demise of the Master, Latu embraced monastic life and became ‘Swami Adbhutananda.’ Though he lived a mendicant’s life, he seldom moved away from Dakshineswar, his holiest place of pilgrimage. Through hard austerity and long bouts of meditation he was able to live constantly in God.

He lived for an unusually long period of nine years at the house of Balaram Bose, another great devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. It was during this period that many earnest seekers would meet him and get their doubts resolved.

He spent his last days at Varanasi where he breathed his last on April 24, 1920.

Teachings

1. What is the use of prayer and meditation if you have no dependence on Him? Everything else is useless if you lack this.

2. It is a great sin to find fault with others. You will invariably find that it is such people as never do a good act themselves who easily see defects in others and energetically spread rumours.

3. It is better to continue calling on the Lord devotedly than to know, speak, and preach thousand and one religious cants and shibboleths.