Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati 
Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati (1833–1899) was a noted 19th-century sannyasin and saint of Varanasi, India.[1] He wandered over India for thirteen years before settling in Anandabag near the Durga Mandir, in 1868. A Sanskrit and Vedic scholar turned ascetic of Shaivaite Dandi sannyasi order, many kings visited him to seek advise, and he also reported be an advisor counsel to Kashi Naresh (Maharaja of Kingdom of Kashi), today his samadhi shrine is situated at Durga Kunda, adjacent to the historic Durga Mandir in VaranasBiography[edit]
Swamiji's real name was Matiram Misra. Born into a Brahmin family in maitha marag Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh,[3] was invested with the sacred thread at the age of eight and was married at the age of twelve. From age eight to seventeen, he was a diligent and most successful student of Sanskrit. A son was born to him at the age of eighteen. By this event he was, in his own opinion, freed from any further social obligations. So one day he disappeared from his father's house and went on foot to Ujjain, where he put up a temple of Siva. He continued his Vedantic studies and also started practicing yoga. He then traveled to all the parts of India and devoted to study Vedanta philosophy[4] from noted masters including Pandit Anant Ram of Patna, who was at Haridwar at the time. At about age 27, he was initiated into the holy order of Sannyas by Paramahamsa Swami Purnananda Saraswati of Ujjain, and christened Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati, a name by which he was known afterwards.[3]
For thirty-five years Swami traveled around India, always practicing Tapas (Sanskrit). From his long ineffable knowledge he had desired, he settled down for the remainder of his life in the sacred city of Varanasi and miracles of healing were attributed to him
His followers[edit]
Alexandra David-Néel, she studied yoga with the great Swami Bhaskarananda (of Varanasi), who lived the whole year in a rose garden.[5] He too was reputed to have yogic powers, and had foreseen his own death. Though his influence spanned all sections of society, the transformation of character of several notorious pandas wrought by his influence is especially worth mentioning.[6]Jang Bahadur as known as Maharaja Jung Bahadur Rana, the King of Nepal and founder of the Rana dynasty of Nepal, has written a pamphlet about Swami.[7] Ernest Binfield Havell (1864–1937), a close friend of Indologist Sir John Woodroffe was also devoted to him
Bamakhepa (1837–1911),[1] popularly known as the "mad saint," was a Hindu saint, held in great reverence in Tarapith and whose shrine is also located in the vicinity of the Tara temple. He was born in the midnight of Shivaratri (the holy night dedicated to Shiva) in the village named Atla of Birbhum district to a Shyama—sangeet singer Sarvananda Chattopadhyay. He was named Bamacharan (one who is dedicated to the lotus feet of Bama = the devi with the left foot forward on the chest of Shiva, i.e., Goddess Tara). Amongst very few, he holds the title Sadhak-pravar Bamdev. He is a true yogi, and was known to have tremendous supernatural powers. While it is true, that people called him Bamakhepa and `khepa' means mad, devout Shakti-sadhaks doesn't think of him as a mad saint; as is usually the folklore. He is the man `mad of Bama or divinely intoxicated', thus he gets that name. Locals called him Khepa--baba, Bama as well. `Khepa' is a term used in Tantrik traditions to praise a worshipper to the superlative degree, thus he was called that way. He is also referred as Shri Bam, Bamdev in the community of shaktas, and is the Bhairav of Tarapith.
Nigamananda Paramahansa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Nigamananda Saraswati.
| Swami Nigamananda স্বামী নিগমানন্দ | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nalinikanta Bhattacharya 18 August 1880 Kutabpur, Nadia, Bengal,British India |
| Died | 29 November 1935 (aged 55) Kolkata, Bengal, British India |
| Titles/honours | Paramahansa, Sadguru |
| Guru | Bamakhepa, Sachidananda Saraswati, Sumeru Das Ji, Gouri Maa |
| Philosophy | Tantra, Jnana (Vedanta), Yoga,Prema or Bhakti |
| Quotation | My dear children! Life in the household is beset with many trials and tribulations. In spite of all these turmoils it has one advantage to provide – it can bring opportunities for realization of God and self. |
Swami Nigamananda Paramahansa (18 August 1880[1]— 29 November 1935[2]) (Bengali: স্বামী নিগমানন্দ পরমহংস, Oriya: ସ୍ବାମୀ ନିଗମାନଂଦ ପରମହଂସ, Hindi: स्वामी निगमानंद परमहंस) was a sadguru,[3][4][5] a yogi and a Hindu spiritual leader well known in Eastern India.[6] He was a guru,[7] a Hindu philosopher associated with the shakti cult[8] and viewed as a perfect spiritual master of tantra, gyan, yoga and prema or bhakti[9][10][11] His followers idealized him as their worshipped and beloved thakura (ठाकुर).
Nigamananda was born into a Brahmin family in the hamlet of Kutabpur in Nadia district (at present Meherpur district Bangladesh). He was a sannyasi from Shankar's cult. After his ordination as a sannyasi he came to be known as Paribrajakacharya Paramahansa Srimat Swami Nigamananda Saraswati Deva(परिब्राजकाचार्य परमहंस श्रीमद स्वामी निगमानंद सरस्वती देव).[12]
Nigamananda's followers believe that he achieved siddhi (perfection) in four different sadhanas (spiritual disciplines): tantra, gyan, yoga and prema.[1][13] Based on these experiences, he wrote five Bengali language books: Brahamcharya Sadhana (ब्रह्मचर्य साधन), Yogi Guru (योगिगुरु), Gyani Guru (ज्ञानीगुरु), Tantrika Guru (तांत्रिकगुरु), andPremik Guru (प्रेमिकगुरु).[14][15][16][17]
Nigamananda reportedly experienced the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.[18]
After retiring from Saraswata Matha, Nigamananda spent the last fourteen years of his life in Puri. Durga Charan Mohanty, a school student, met him at Nilachala Kutir in 1930 and recognized him as sadguru.[19] Mohanty became Nigamananda's disciple and wrote books for Nigamananda's establishment Nilachala Saraswata Sangha and translated Nigamananda's Bengali books into Oriya. Under Mohanty's encouragement, more than 100 ashrams operate in Orissa. Mohanty continued to spread the message of Nigamananda until his death on 7 Dec 1985.[
| Ramakrishna | |
|---|---|
Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar
| |
| Born | Gadadhar Chattopadhyay 18 February 1836 Kamarpukur, Bengal Presidency, British India (now in West Bengal, India) |
| Died | 16 August 1886 (aged 50) Calcutta, Bengal Presidency,British India (now Kolkata, West Bengal,India) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Titles/honours | Paramahamsa |
| Philosophy | Vedanta |
| Prominent Disciple(s) | Swami Vivekananda and others |
| Quotation | He is born in vain, who having attained the human birth, so difficult to get, does not attempt to realise God in this very life. |
| ** Ramakrishna's birthday is observed on Phalgun Shukla Dwitiya as per Hindu lunar calendar. | |
| Part of a series on |
| Advaita Vedanta |
|---|
 |
Ramakrishna (
Ramkṛiṣṇo Pôromôhongśo (help·info)) (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay[1] (Gôdadhor Chôṭṭopaddhae), was a famous mystic of 19th-century India.[2] His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda.[3][4][5] He is also referred to as "Paramahamsa" by his devotees, as such he is popularly known as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Ramkṛiṣṇo Pôromôhongśo (help·info)) (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay[1] (Gôdadhor Chôṭṭopaddhae), was a famous mystic of 19th-century India.[2] His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda.[3][4][5] He is also referred to as "Paramahamsa" by his devotees, as such he is popularly known as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Ramakrishna was born in a poor Brahmin , Vaishnava family in rural Bengal. He became a priest of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, dedicated to the goddess Kali, which had the influence of the main strands of Bengali bhakti tradition.[1] The most widely known amongst his first spiritual teachers was an ascetic woman, called Bhairavi Brahmani, who was skilled in Tantra and Vaishnava bhakti.[6] Later an Advaita Vedantin ascetic taught him non-dual meditation, and he experienced nirvikalpa samadhiunder his guidance.
Biography[edit]
Birth and childhood[edit]
Ramakrishna was born on 18 February 1836, in the village of Kamarpukur, in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, into a very poor, pious, and orthodox brahmin family.[7]Kamarpukur was untouched by the glamour of the city and contained rice fields, tall palms, royal banyans, a few lakes, and two cremation grounds. His parents were Khudiram Chattopadhyay and Chandramani Devi. According to his followers, Ramakrishna's parents experienced supernatural incidents and visions before his birth. InGaya his father Khudiram had a dream in which Lord Gadadhara (a form of Vishnu), said that he would be born as his son. Chandramani Devi is said to have had a vision of light entering her womb from Shiva's temple.[8][9]
Although Ramakrishna attended a village school with some regularity for 12 years,[10] he later rejected the traditional schooling saying that he was not interested in a "bread-winning education". [11] Kamarpukur, being a transit-point in well-established pilgrimage routes to Puri, brought him into contact with renunciates and holy men.[12]He became well-versed in the Puranas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavata Purana, hearing them from wandering monks and the Kathaks—a class of men in ancient India who preached and sang the Purāṇas. He could read and write in Bengali.[13] While the official biographies write that the name Ramakrishna was given by Mathura Biswas—chief patron at Dakshineswar Kali Temple, it has also been suggested that this name was given by his own parents.
Ramakrishna describes his first spiritual ecstasy at the age of six: while walking along the paddy fields, a flock of white cranes flying against a backdrop of dark thunder clouds caught his vision. He reportedly became so absorbed by this scene that he lost outward consciousness and experienced indescribable joy in that state.[14][15]Ramakrishna reportedly had experiences of similar nature a few other times in his childhood—while worshipping the goddess Vishalakshi, and portraying god Shiva in a drama during Shivaratri festival. From his 10th or 11th year on, the trances became common, and by the final years of his life,Ramakrishna's samādhi periods occurred almost daily.[15]
Ramakrishna's father died in 1843, after which family responsibilities fell on his elder brother Ramkumar. This loss drew him closer to his mother, and he spent his time in household activities and daily worship of the household deities and became more involved in contemplative activities such as reading the sacred epics. When Ramakrishna was in his teens, the family's financial position worsened. Ramkumar started a Sanskrit school in Calcutta and also served as a priest. Ramakrishna moved to Calcutta in 1852 with Ramkumar to assist in the priestly work.[16]
Priest at Dakshineswar Kali Temple[edit]
In 1855 Ramkumar was appointed as the priest of Dakshineswar Kali Temple, built by Rani Rashmoni—a rich woman of Calcutta who belonged to the kaivarta community.[17] Ramakrishna, along with his nephew Hriday, became assistants to Ramkumar, with Ramakrishna given the task of decorating the deity. When Ramkumar died in 1856, Ramakrishna took his place as the priest of the Kali temple.[18]
After Ramkumar's death Ramakrishna became more contemplative. He began to look upon the image of the goddess Kali as his mother and the mother of the universe. Ramakrishna reportedly had a vision of the goddess Kali as the universal Mother, which he described as "... houses, doors, temples and everything else vanished altogether; as if there was nothing anywhere! And what I saw was an infinite shoreless sea of light; a sea that was consciousness. However far and in whatever direction I looked, I saw shining waves, one after another, coming towards me."[19]
Marriage[edit]
Rumors spread to Kamarpukur that Ramakrishna had become unstable as a result of his spiritual practices at Dakshineswar. Ramakrishna's mother and his elder brother Rameswar decided to get Ramakrishna married, thinking that marriage would be a good steadying influence upon him—by forcing him to accept responsibility and to keep his attention on normal affairs rather than his spiritual practices and visions. Ramakrishna himself mentioned that they could find the bride at the house of Ramchandra Mukherjee in Jayrambati, three miles to the north-west of Kamarpukur. The five-year-old bride, Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya (later known as Sarada Devi) was found and the marriage was duly solemnised in 1859. Ramakrishna was 23 at this point, but the age difference was typical for 19th century rural Bengal.[20]They later spent three months together in Kamarpukur. Sarada Devi was fourteen while Ramakrishna was thirty-two. Ramakrishna became a very influential figure in Sarada's life, and she became a strong follower of his teachings. After the marriage, Sarada stayed at Jayrambati and joined Ramakrishna in Dakshineswar at the age of 18.[21]
By the time his bride joined him, Ramakrishna had already embraced the monastic life of a sannyasi; as a result, the marriage was never consummated. As a priest Ramakrishna performed the ritual ceremony—the Shodashi Puja–where Sarada Devi was made to sit in the seat of goddess Kali, and worshiped as the Divine mother.[22]Ramakrishna regarded Sarada as the Divine Mother in person, addressing her as the Holy Mother, and it was by this name that she was known to Ramakrishna's disciples. Sarada Devi outlived Ramakrishna by 34 years and played an important role in the nascent religious movement.[23][24]
Religious practices and teachers[edit]
After his marriage Ramakrishna returned to Calcutta and resumed the charges of the temple again, and continued his sadhana. According to his official biographers, he continued his sadhana under teachers of Tantra, Vedanta and Vaishnava.
Bhairavi Brahmani and Tantra[edit]
See also: Ramakrishna's views on Tantra Sadhana
In 1861, Ramakrishna accepted Bhairavi Brahmani, an orange-robed, middle-aged female ascetic, as a teacher. She carried with her the Raghuvir Shila, a stone icon representing Ram and all Vaishnava deities.[6] She was thoroughly conversant with the texts of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and practised Tantra.[6] According to the Bhairavi, Ramakrishna was experiencing phenomena that accompany mahabhava—the supreme attitude of loving devotion towards the divine[25]–and quoting from the bhakti shastras, she said that other religious figures likeRadha and Chaitanya had similar experiences.[26]
The Bhairavi initiated Ramakrishna into Tantra. Tantrism focuses on the worship of shakti and the object of Tantric training is to transcend the barriers between the holy and unholy as a means of achieving liberation and to see all aspects of the natural world as manifestations of the divine shakti.[27][28] Under her guidance, Ramakrishna went through sixty four major tantric sadhanas which were completed in 1863.[29] He began with mantra rituals such as japa and purascarana and many other rituals designed to purify the mind and establish self-control. He later proceeded towards tantric sadhanas, which generally include a set of heterodox practices called vamachara (left-hand path), which utilise as a means of liberation, activities like eating of parched grain, fish and meat along with drinking of wine and sexual intercourse.[25] According to Ramakrishna and his biographers, Ramakrishna did not directly participate in the last two of those activities, all that he needed was a suggestion of them to produce the desired result.[25] Ramakrishna acknowledged the left-hand tantric path, though it had "undesirable features", as one of the "valid roads to God-realization", he consistently cautioned his devotees and disciples against associating with it.[30][31] The Bhairavi also taught Ramakrishna the kumari-puja, a form of ritual in which the Virgin Goddess is worshiped symbolically in the form of a young girl. Under the tutelage of the Bhairavi, Ramakrishna also learnt Kundalini Yoga.[25] The Bhairavi, with the yogic techniques and the tantra played an important part in the initial spiritual development of Ramakrishna.[1][32]
[edit]
The Vaishnava Bhakti traditions speak of five different moods,[33] referred to as bhāvas—different attitudes that a devotee can take up to express his love for God. They are: śānta, the “peaceful attitude”; dāsya, the attitude of a servant; sakhya, the attitude of a friend; vātsalya, the attitude of a mother toward her child; and madhura, the attitude of a woman towards her lover.[34][35]
At some point in the period between his vision of Kali and his marriage, Ramakrishna practised dāsya bhāva, during which he worshiped Rama with the attitude of Hanuman, the monkey-god, who is considered to be the ideal devotee and servant of Rama. According to Ramakrishna, towards the end of this sadhana, he had a vision of Sita, the consort of Rama, merging into his body.[34][36]
In 1864, Ramakrishna practised vātsalya bhāva under a Vaishnava guru Jatadhari.[37] During this period, he worshipped a metal image of Ramlālā (Rama as a child) in the attitude of a mother. According to Ramakrishna, he could feel the presence of child Rama as a living God in the metal image.[38][39]
Ramakrishna later engaged in the practice of madhura bhāva— the attitude of the Gopis and Radha towards Krishna.[34] During the practise of this bhava, Ramakrishna dressed himself in women's attire for several days and regarded himself as one of the Gopis of Vrindavan. According to Sri Ramakrishna, madhura bhava is practised to root out the idea of sex, which is seen as an impediment in spiritual life.[40] According to Ramakrishna, towards the end of this sadhana, he attained savikalpa samadhi—vision and union with Krishna.[41]
Ramakrishna visited Nadia, the home of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the 15th-century founders of Bengali Gaudiya Vaishnava bhakti. According to Ramakrishna, he had an intense vision of two young boys merging into his body.[41] Earlier, after his vision of Kali, he is said to have cultivated the Santa bhava—the child attitude – towards Kali.[34]
Totapuri and Vedanta[edit]
In 1865, Ramakrishna was initiated into sannyasa by Totapuri, an itinerant monk who trained Ramakrishna in Advaita Vedanta, the Hindu philosophy which emphasises non-dualism.[42][43]
Totapuri first guided Ramakrishna through the rites of sannyasa—renunciation of all ties to the world. Then he instructed him in the teaching of advaita—that "Brahman alone is real, and the world is illusory; I have no separate existence; I am that Brahman alone."[44] Under the guidance of Totapuri, Ramakrishna reportedly experienced nirvikalpa samadhi, which is considered to be the highest state in spiritual realisation.[45]
Totapuri stayed with Ramakrishna for nearly eleven months and instructed him further in the teachings of advaita. Ramakrishna said that this period of nirvikalpa samadhi came to an end when he received a command from the Mother Kali to "remain in Bhavamukha; for the enlightenment of the people". Bhavamukha being a state of existence intermediate between samādhi and normal consciousness.[46]
Islam and Christianity[edit]
In 1866, Govinda Roy, a Hindu guru who practised Sufism, initiated Ramakrishna into Islam. Ramakrishna said that he "devoutly repeated the name of Allah, wore a cloth like the Arab Muslims, said their prayer five times daily, and felt disinclined even to see images of the Hindu gods and goddesses, much less worship them—for the Hindu way of thinking had disappeared altogether from my mind."[47] According to Ramakrishna, after three days of practice he had a vision of a "radiant personage with grave countenance and white beard resembling the Prophetand merging with his body".[48]
At the end of 1873 he started the practice of Christianity, when his devotee Shambu Charan Mallik read the Bible to him. Ramakrishna said that for several days he was filled with Christian thoughts and no longer thought of going to the Kali temple. Ramakrishna describes of a vision in which the picture of the Madonna and Child became alive and had a vision in which Jesus merged with his body. In his own room amongst other divine pictures was one of Christ, and he burnt incense before it morning and evening. There was also a picture showing Jesus Christ saving St Peter from drowning in the water.[41][49]
Arrival of followers[edit]
In 1875, Ramakrishna met the influential Brahmo Samaj leader Keshab Chandra Sen.[50][51] Keshab had accepted Christianity, and had separated from the Adi Brahmo Samaj. Formerly, Keshab had rejected idolatry, but under the influence of Ramakrishna he accepted Hindu polytheism and established the "New Dispensation" (Nava Vidhan) religious movement, based on Ramakrishna's principles—"Worship of God as Mother", "All religions as true" and "Assimilation of Hindu polytheism into Brahmoism".[52] Keshab also publicised Ramakrishna's teachings in the journals of New Dispensation over a period of several years,[53] which was instrumental in bringing Ramakrishna to the attention of a wider audience, especially the Bhadralok (English-educated classes of Bengal) and the Europeans residing in India.[54][55]
Following Keshab, other Brahmos such as Vijaykrishna Goswami started to admire Ramakrishna, propagate his ideals and reorient their socio-religious outlook. Many prominent people of Calcutta—Pratap Chandra Mazumdar, Shivanath Shastri and Trailokyanath Sanyal—began visiting him during this time (1871–1885). Mazumdar wrote the first English biography of Ramakrishna, entitled The Hindu Saint in the Theistic Quarterly Review (1879), which played a vital role in introducing Ramakrishna to Westerners like the Germanindologist Max Müller.[53] Newspapers reported that Ramakrishna was spreading "Love" and "Devotion" among the educated classes of Calcutta and that he had succeeded in reforming the character of some youths whose morals had been corrupt.[53]
Ramakrishna also had interactions with Debendranath Tagore, the father of Rabindranath Tagore, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a renowned social worker. He had also metSwami Dayananda.[50] Ramakrishna is considered as one of the main contributors to the Bengali Renaissance.
Among the Europeans who were influenced by Ramakrishna was Principal Dr. W.W. Hastie of the Scottish Church College, Calcutta. In the course of explaining the word trancein the poem The Excursion by William Wordsworth, Hastie told his students that if they wanted to know its "real meaning", they should go to "Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar." This prompted some of his students, including Narendranath Dutta (later Swami Vivekananda), to visit Ramakrishna.
Devotees and disciples[edit]
Main articles: Disciples of Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda
Most of Ramakrishna's prominent disciples came between 1879–1885, and were influenced by his style of preaching and instruction.[24]
His chief disciples consisted of:[39]
- Grihastas or The householders—Mahendranath Gupta, Girish Chandra Ghosh, Mahendra Lal Sarkar, Akshay Kumar Sen and others.
- Monastic disciples who renounced their family and became the earliest monks of the Ramakrishna order—Narendranath Dutta (Swami Vivekananda), Rakhal Chandra Ghosh (Swami Brahmananda), Kaliprasad Chandra (Swami Abhedananda), Taraknath Ghoshal (Swami Shivananda), Sashibhushan Chakravarty (Swami Ramakrishnananda), Saratchandra Chakravarty (Swami Saradananda), Tulasi Charan Dutta (Swami Nirmalananda), Gangadhar Ghatak (Swami Akhandananda), Hari Prasana (Swami Vijnanananda) and others.
- A small group of women disciples including Gauri Ma and Yogin Ma. A few of them were initiated into sanyasa through mantra deeksha. Among the women, Ramakrishna emphasised service to other women rather than tapasya (practice of austerities).[56] Gauri Ma founded the Saradesvari Ashrama at Barrackpur, which was dedicated to the education and uplift of women.[57]
As his name spread, an ever-shifting crowd of all classes and castes visited Ramakrishna. According to Kathamrita it included, childless widows, young school-boys, aged pensioners, Hindu scholars and religious figures, men betrayed by lovers, people with suicidal tendencies, small-time businessmen, and people "dreading the grind of samsariclife".[58] Ramakrishna's primary biographers, describe him as talkative. According to the biographers, for hours Ramakrishna would reminisce about his own eventful spiritual life, tell tales, explain Vedantic doctrines with extremely mundane illustrations, raise questions and answer them himself, crack jokes, sing songs, and mimic the ways of all types of worldly people, keeping the visitors enthralled.[59][60] In preparation for monastic life, Ramakrishna ordered his monastic disciples to beg their food from door to door without distinction of caste. He gave them the saffron robe, the sign of the Sanyasi, and initiated them with Mantra Deeksha.[60]
Last days[edit]
In the beginning of 1885 Ramakrishna suffered from clergyman's throat, which gradually developed into throat cancer. He was moved to Shyampukur near Calcutta, where some of the best physicians of the time, including Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar, were engaged. When his condition aggravated he was relocated to a large garden house atCossipore on 11 December 1885.[61]
During his last days, he was looked after by his monastic disciples and Sarada Devi. Ramakrishna was advised by the doctors to keep the strictest silence, but ignoring their advice, he incessantly conversed with visitors.[54] According to traditional accounts, before his death, Ramakrishna transferred his spiritual powers to Vivekananda[61] and reassured Vivekananda of his avataric status.[61][62] Ramakrishna asked Vivekananda to look after the welfare of the disciples, saying, "keep my boys together"[63] and asked him to "teach them".[63] Ramakrishna also asked other monastic disciples to look upon Vivekananda as their leader.[61] Ramakrishna's condition gradually worsened and he passed away in the early morning hours of 16 August 1886 at the Cossipore garden house. According to his disciples, this was mahasamadhi.[61] After the death of their master, the monastic disciples led by Vivekananda formed a fellowship at a half-ruined house at Baranagar near the river Ganges, with the financial assistance of the householder disciples. This became the first Math or monastery of the disciples who constituted the first Ramakrishna Order.[24]
Biographical sources[edit]
Main article: Books on Ramakrishna
 | |
| Born | Shyama Charan Lahiri 30 September 1828 Ghurni village, Bengal Province,British India |
|---|---|
| Died | 26 September 1895 (aged 66) Varanasi, North-Western Provinces, British India |
| Guru | Mahavatar Babaji |
| Philosophy | Kriya Yoga |
| Prominent Disciple(s) | Yukteswar Giri, Tinkouri Lahiri,Harinarayan Paloudhi,Bhupendranath Sanyal,Panchanan Bhattacharya.Ramgopal Majumdar, Swami Keshabanandaji, Swami Kebalanandaji, Swami Pranabananda Giri |
Shyama Charan Lahiri (Bengali: শ্যামাচরণ লাহিড়ী Shêmā Chôron Lahiṛi), (September 30, 1828 – September 26, 1895), best known as Lahiri Mahasaya, was an Indian
Lahiri Mahasaya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shyama Charan Lahiri | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Shyama Charan Lahiri 30 September 1828 Ghurni village, Bengal Province,British India |
| Died | 26 September 1895 (aged 66) Varanasi, North-Western Provinces, British India |
| Guru | Mahavatar Babaji |
| Philosophy | Kriya Yoga |
| Prominent Disciple(s) | Yukteswar Giri, Tinkouri Lahiri,Harinarayan Paloudhi,Bhupendranath Sanyal,Panchanan Bhattacharya.Ramgopal Majumdar, Swami Keshabanandaji, Swami Kebalanandaji, Swami Pranabananda Giri |
Shyama Charan Lahiri (Bengali: শ্যামাচরণ লাহিড়ী Shêmā Chôron Lahiṛi), (September 30, 1828 – September 26, 1895), best known as Lahiri Mahasaya, was an Indianyogi and a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji. He was also popularly known as Yogiraj and Kashi Baba. He revived the yogic science of Kriya Yoga when he learned it fromMahavatar Babaji in 1861. Lahiri Mahasaya was also the guru of Yukteswar Giri. Mahasaya is a Sanskrit, spiritual title translated as 'large-minded'.[1] He was unusual among Indian holy men in that he was a householder — marrying, raising a family, and working as an accountant for the Military Engineering Department of the British Indian government. Lahiri lived with his family in Varanasi rather than in a temple or monastery. He achieved a substantial reputation among 19th century Hindureligionists.
He became known in the West through Paramahansa Yogananda, a disciple of Yukteswar Giri, and through Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda wrote that Lahiri was chosen by Mahavatar Babaji to reintroduce the lost practice of Kriya Yoga to the world. Lahiri's disciples included both of Yogananda's parents as well as Yogananda's own guru. Lahiri Mahasaya prophesied that the infant Yogananda would become a yogi, and "As a spiritual engine, he will carry many souls to God's kingdom.'"[
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Lahiri was born into a Brahmin family in the Ghurni village (presently a neighbourhood of Krishnanagar town) in Nadia district of Bengal Province. He was the youngest son of Muktakashi, wife of Gaur Mohan Lahiri. His mother died when he was a child — there is very little known about her, except that she was a devotee of Lord Shiva. At the age of three or four, he was often seen sitting in meditation, with his body buried in the sand up to his neck. When Lahiri was five, the family's ancestral home was lost in a flood, so the family moved to Varanasi, where he would spend most of his life.[2]
As a child, he studied Urdu and Hindi, gradually moving on to Bengali, Sanskrit, Persian, French and English at the Government Sanskrit College, along with study of the Vedas. Reciting the Vedas, bathing in the Ganges, and worship were part of his daily routine.[3]
In 1846, he was married to Srimati Kashi Moni [1]. They had two sons, Tincouri and Ducouri, and three daughters, Harimoti, Harikamini and Harimohini. His two sons were considered saints. His wife became his disciple and was affectionately called by Guru Ma. His work as an accountant in the Military Engineering Department of the English government took him all over India. After the death of his father, he took on the role of supporting the entire family in Varanasi.[2]
Teacher of Kriya Yoga[edit]
In 1861, Lahiri was transferred to Ranikhet, in the foothills of the Himalayas. One day, while walking in the hills, he heard a voice calling to him. After climbing further, he met his GuruMahavatar Babaji, who initiated him into the techniques of Kriya Yoga. Babaji told Lahiri that the rest of his life was to be given to spreading the Kriya message.[2]
Soon after, Lahiri Mahasaya returned to Varanasi, where he began initiating sincere seekers into the path of Kriya Yoga. Over time, more and more people flocked to receive the teachings of Kriya from Lahiri. He organized many study groups and gave regular discourses on the Bhagavad Gita at his "Gita Assemblies." He freely gave Kriya initiation to those of every faith, including Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, at a time when caste bigotry was very strong. He encouraged his students to adhere to the tenets of their own faith, adding the Kriya techniques to what they already were practicing.[2]
He continued his dual role of accountant and supporter to his family, and a teacher of Kriya Yoga, until 1886, when he was able to retire on a pension. More and more visitors came to see him at this time. He seldom left his sitting room, available to all who sought his darshan. He often exhibited the breathless state of superconscious samādhi.
Over the years he gave initiation to gardeners, postmen, kings, maharajas, sannyasis, householders, people considered to be lower caste, Christians, and Muslims.[3] At that time, it was unusual for a strict Brahmin to associate so closely with people from all castes.
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Some of his notable disciples included Panchanan Bhattacharya, Yukteswar Giri, Pranabananda, Keshabananda, Bhupendranath Sanyal, and the parents of Paramahansa Yogananda. Others who received initiation into Kriya Yoga from Lahiri included Vhaskarananda Saraswati of Benares, Balananda Brahmachari of Deogarh, Maharaja Iswari Narayan Sinha Bahadur of Benares and his son.[2][4] Biographer and Yogacharya Dr. Ashoke Kumar Chatterjee, in his book "Purana Purusha" depicts that Lahiri initiated Sai Baba of Shirdi into Kriya Yoga, based on a passage in Lahiri's 26 secret diary.[5]
He gave permission to one disciple, Panchanan Bhattacharya, to start an institution in Kolkata to spread the teachings of Kriya Yoga. The Arya Mission Institution published commentaries by Lahiri on the Bhagavad Gita, along with other spiritual books, including a Bengali translation of the Gita. Lahiri himself had printed thousands of small books with excerpted passages from the Gita, in Bengali and Hindi, and distributed them for free, an unusual idea at that time.[3]
In 1895 he began gathering his disciples, letting some of them know that he would soon be leaving the body. Moments before his passing, he said simply, "I am going home. Be comforted; I shall rise again." He then turned his body around three times, faced north, and consciously left his body, entering mahasamadhi. Lahiri Mahasaya died on September 26, 1895.[2]
Teachings[edit]
Kriya Yoga[edit]
The central spiritual practice which he taught to his disciples was Kriya Yoga, a series of inner pranayama practices that quickly hasten the spiritual growth of the practitioner. He taught this technique to all sincere seekers, regardless of their religious background. In response to many types of problems that disciples would bring him, his advice would be the same — to practice more Kriya Yoga.[2] Regarding Kriya Yoga, he said:
He taught that Kriya practice would give the yogi direct experience of truth, unlike mere theoretical discussion of the scriptures, and to:
Teachings[edit]
Kriya Yoga[edit]
The central spiritual practice which he taught to his disciples was Kriya Yoga, a series of inner pranayama practices that quickly hasten the spiritual growth of the practitioner. He taught this technique to all sincere seekers, regardless of their religious background. In response to many types of problems that disciples would bring him, his advice would be the same — to practice more Kriya Yoga.[2] Regarding Kriya Yoga, he said:
He taught that Kriya practice would give the yogi direct experience of truth, unlike mere theoretical discussion of the scriptures, and to:
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