The Stalwarts of our Order-IV Swami Kalyanananda

The Stalwarts of our Order - IV

Swami Kalyanananda

This beloved disciple of Swami Vivekananda belonged to that band of noble souls of the Ramakrishna Order who had made the great ideal ‘Service to man is service to God’ their very life breath, and who laid down their lives for its practice and success. His name will ever shine brightly in the annals of dedicated service.

(1874-1937) Swami Kalyanananda joined the monastery founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1898. One day Swami Vivekananda asked him, ‘Well, suppose I need some money, and for that I sell you off as a tea-garden coolie. Will you be ready for that?’ Young Dakshinaranjan (pre-monastic name of Swami Kalyanananda), gladly and without any hesitation, expressed his consent. Swami Vivekananda dedicated Dakshinaranjan not as a coolie of any tea garden, but for the service of humanity. Today’s Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama at Kankhal, Haridwar in India is a model institution which bears the testimony of the dedicated life of continuous service of Swami Kalyanananda.

(Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Kankhal, Haridwar as in 1901 when it was founded.)