Lessons from Swamis Vijayananda, Diptananda, Chitswarupananda and Atmananda

The Dec 2020 Special Issue of The Vedanta Kesari was on the topic ‘Lessons from Swamis’. New content on this topic is being serialised this year.

Swami Vijayananda

In 1919, Pasupati joined Belur Math and received mantradiksha from Swami Brahmananda. Later in 1923 Swami Shivanandaji gave him sannyasa-diksha and the name. In October 1932 he was sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina where he started the Ramakrishna Ashrama in March 1933. The swami did pioneering work in spreading the message of Sri Ramakrishna in Latin America till his passing away in 1973. He also authored several books in Spanish language.

Vision of Lord Viswanatha

I was then serving at the Varanasi Sevashrama. Swami Turiyanandaji too was living at the Sevashrama. Every day we used to assemble before him and there would be reading from the scriptures, followed by his talks and guidance.

One evening, a brother sannyasi and I were at the Dasashwamedha Ghat on the Ganga. The sun was about to set. We were not particularly talking about anything, when I suddenly saw Lord Shiva rising from the Ganga. His complexion was white, but not milk white. It was snow white. I stood there speechless. My gurubhai was in a similar state. After a while the vision disappeared. We compared notes and found that both of us had seen the same vision.

We literally ran back to the Sevashrama, and burst into Turiyananda Maharaj’s room. He calmly received us and asked what made us call on him at that hour. When we described what we had seen, he quietly confirmed it saying, “Yes, many of us have seen Lord Vishwanatha.” He then warned us against gloating about it with others. — as recorded by Sri Raghu Raman, Australia

Swami Diptananda

Swami Diptananda (Prabodh Maharaj), an initiated disciple of Swami Shivananda, joined the Order in 1922 at Belur Math and served in the shrine-store of Sri Ramakrishna’s Temple until he fell sick in 1977. He attained mahasamadhi in 1989 aged 92.

Shraddha in Guru-vakya and Ishta-seva

Swami Shivanandaji had told Diptanandaji: “Serve in Sri Ramakrishna’s Temple with unswerving devotion, and you will attain everything.” Diptanandaji wholeheartedly obeyed his guru’s command. In a most meticulous and devoted manner, he would procure and arrange the articles for worship in the temple of Sri Ramakrishna, which is the main temple at Belur Math. His day would begin 3 AM. While preparing sandal paste, he would take utmost care and make sure that there were no coarse particles left in it. We learnt from him how to make sandal paste, pluck flowers, bilva leaves, tulasi leaves, durva grass, and prepare garlands. He taught us how to pluck flowers without hurting the plant. He performed this service with one-pointed devotion for 55 years. — Swami Lokanathananda, Belur Math

Swami Chitswarupananda

Swami Chitswarupananda (Bikash Maharaj), an initiated disciple of Swami Saradananda, joined the Order at Patna Ashrama in 1922. After receiving sannyasadiksha from his guru in 1926, he served as the Bhandari or kitchen in-charge at Belur Math for about four decades. He attained mahasamadhi in 1979 aged 79.

Shraddha in Guru-vakya and Ishta-seva

Swami Chitswarupananda too had received a simple command from Swami Shivanandaji: “Every day wholeheartedly look after the preparation of food that will be offered in Sri Ramakrishna’s temple, and you will achieve everything in your monastic life.” Chitswarupanandaji did this with utmost sincerity. He paid great attention to make sure that the rice for the noon offering was cooked perfectly— neither too boiled nor hard. Keeping in mind Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s words that a deep-fried and hardened luchi had once bruised the fingers of Sri Ramakrishna, he made sure that the luchis offered in the temple for dinner were optimally fried and remained soft. It was also his responsibility to ensure that the timing of food offering and collection never deviated. He served thus for over 40 years. — Swami Lokanathananda, Belur Math

Swami Atmananda

Initiated by Swami Virajanandaji, he joined the Order in 1951 at Nagpur Ashrama. He established the ashrama in Raipur and spread the Ramakrishna Movement in Central India. He also did extensive tribal development work. He passed away in a road accident in 1989.

Is it only a marble image?

I was then a volunteer in the Raipur Ashrama. Swami Atmanandaji was the head of the centre. One morning when I expressed my desire to join the Ramakrishna Order, he blessed me and said: “This life of sannyasa is not an easy thing. You certainly have God’s grace because you are able to hear His call. Whether you join or not, always hold on to the ideal. We must lead a God-centred, God-soaked life — this is verily the Ramakrishna ideal.” Even as we were conversing, a brahmachari who served as the pujari in the ashrama, entered the room and without any hesitation interrupted us and started speaking. He seemed to be very irritated and insistently asked for an additional fan in the shrine. When Atmanandaji in a calm and composed voice asked for the reason, he replied that there were too many mosquitoes in the shrine, which bit and disturbed him during the puja. At this Atmanandaji patiently said, “My boy, you are continuously telling that the mosquitos bite you. But it seems as if you have no thought about Sri Ramakrishna. Do you think it is only a marble image? Don’t you have the feeling that it is a living entity. Though you are doing puja for some years now, it looks like you are doing neither Karmayoga nor Bhaktiyoga! What a shame! My boy, every work in the Ashrama is Sri Ramakrishna’s puja, his seva. But you are not maintaining that spiritual and mental attitude. You are no doubt following the rituals perfectly. But as you do not have the right bhava, it has become mere work.” As I heard this, a new horizon opened in front of me! — Swami Suvijneyananda, Ramakrishna Math, Raipur