Svāmi Abhedānanda
By Swami Harshananda
Significance of Svāmi Abhedānanda[edit]
Svāmi Abhedānanda lived in A. D. 1866-1939. He was an author of several exquisite Sanskrit hymns on Rāmakṛṣṇa and Śāradā Devī, the most popular one being ‘prakrtim paramām’, Svāmi Abhedānanda was a rare combination of several talents like intellectual acumen, devotional fervor and yogic introspection. He was a good speaker and a prolific writer.
Origin of Svāmi Abhedānanda[edit]
He was known as Kālīprasād Candra in his pre-monastic days. He was born on the 2nd October 1866 in Calcutta to enlightened parents, both of whom were deeply devoted to Mother Kāli. 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 Rāmakṛṣṇa who immediately recognized him as a disciple of his inner circle. He progressed speedily in the inner life under the guidance of the Master.
Monastic Life of Svāmi Abhedānanda[edit]
After the demise of his Master, Kālī accepted sanyāsa along with the other disciples and became ‘Svāmi Abhedānanda’. He was given to much study and contemplation during the early days of his monastic life. He earning for himself the nickname, ‘Kālī Tapasvī’.
When Svāmi Vivekānanda wanted a proper assistant to continue the work in the West, he thought of Svāmi Abhedānanda. The latter’s very first discourse on Advaita Vedānta delivered at London was an instant success. He later on shifted to New York. He toured and lectured very extensively in the West[1] for a quarter of a century. His lectures attracted the cream of Western intellects and earnest seekers of Truth. He returned to India in 1921 and formed a ‘Ramakṛṣṇa 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 sanyāsin disciples of the Master came to an end.
References[edit]
- ↑ It is in U.S.A. and Europe.
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore