Prajnanapada
Encyclopedia
Prajnanapada, popularly known as Swami Prajnanapada or Swami Prajnanpad (1891–1974) of Channa Ashram
(located at Channa village
), was one of the eminent disciples of Niralamba Swami
, the great yogi
and Guru
of India. He was born on February 8, 1891. He entered the life of Sannyasa
and became Niralamba Swami
’s disciple in 1924-25 at Channa ashram.
Besides living at Channa Ashram
(located at Channa village
, Burdwan, India
), he had also established an ashram
in Ranchi
, India.
A unique method of teaching of Swami Prajnanapada was his establishment of one-to-one contact with his disciples and devotees instead of giving religious discourses. He was an astute psychoanalyst as well.
(then Calcutta), in West Bengal
, India. He was the fourth of 5 children. His parents and eldest brothers died in an epidemic when he was young. His elder brother Lakshmi Narain took care of his education.
In 1916 he graduated from Srirampur, a town near Kolkata. In 1918 he graduated with a gold medal with a Masters degree in Physics from Calcutta University.
Between 1918 to 1920 he taught at TNG Collage, Chagalpur and B.N.Collage, Patna
.
In 1920 he joined the non-cooperation against the British Raj
, called by the Indian national congress
.
who later became his Guru. Though he was increasingly turning to spirituality he continued teaching at various Universities in Bengal and Bihar. In 1923 he was invited to lecture at Kashi Vidyapith, one of the most famous collages of Banaras Hindu University
.
In 1925 he took sannyasa
and wandered in the Himalayas. His brother persuaded him to return assuring him that he could carry on his spiritual quest at home. He returned to Kashi Vidyapith. In the same year a daughter was born, named Chinmayee.
In 1930 he gave up his teaching post and left Varanasi
for good, at the behest of Niralamba Swami who requested him to take charge of Channa Ashram after his death.
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
(located at Channa village
Channa village
Channa is a small village located in Bardhaman district.It is famous for Ashram of Niralamba Swami, a famous saint of India.-Geography:Channa is located in Khano Panchayat area of Galsi - II Block...
), was one of the eminent disciples of Niralamba Swami
Niralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...
, the great yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
and Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
of India. He was born on February 8, 1891. He entered the life of Sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
and became Niralamba Swami
Niralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...
’s disciple in 1924-25 at Channa ashram.
Besides living at Channa Ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
(located at Channa village
Channa village
Channa is a small village located in Bardhaman district.It is famous for Ashram of Niralamba Swami, a famous saint of India.-Geography:Channa is located in Khano Panchayat area of Galsi - II Block...
, Burdwan, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
), he had also established an ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in Ranchi
Ranchi
-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...
, India.
A unique method of teaching of Swami Prajnanapada was his establishment of one-to-one contact with his disciples and devotees instead of giving religious discourses. He was an astute psychoanalyst as well.
Early life
Swami Prajnanapada was born as Yogeshwar Chattopadhyay on 8 February 1891 at Chinsurah, near KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
(then Calcutta), in West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India. He was the fourth of 5 children. His parents and eldest brothers died in an epidemic when he was young. His elder brother Lakshmi Narain took care of his education.
In 1916 he graduated from Srirampur, a town near Kolkata. In 1918 he graduated with a gold medal with a Masters degree in Physics from Calcutta University.
Between 1918 to 1920 he taught at TNG Collage, Chagalpur and B.N.Collage, Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
.
In 1920 he joined the non-cooperation against the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, called by the Indian national congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
.
Spiritual awakening
In 1921 he met Niralamba SwamiNiralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...
who later became his Guru. Though he was increasingly turning to spirituality he continued teaching at various Universities in Bengal and Bihar. In 1923 he was invited to lecture at Kashi Vidyapith, one of the most famous collages of Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
.
In 1925 he took sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
and wandered in the Himalayas. His brother persuaded him to return assuring him that he could carry on his spiritual quest at home. He returned to Kashi Vidyapith. In the same year a daughter was born, named Chinmayee.
In 1930 he gave up his teaching post and left Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
for good, at the behest of Niralamba Swami who requested him to take charge of Channa Ashram after his death.
Final Years
Swami Prajnanpada had a congenital heart condition which deteriorated with passage of time partly due to the intensive psychoanalysis sessions he conducted for his disciples. He had his first serious heart attack in 1972. In 1974 he died at the Ranchi Ashram.Reference
- Hornby, A S, "Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English" (5th ed.), UK: Oxford University Press (1998). ISBN 0 19 431445 6, pp. 1433–1475.
- Prajnanapada, Ramaswamy Srinivasan, Talks with Swami Prajnanapada, Vidya Bhavan, India (edition 1977).