Swami Swarupananda
Encyclopedia
Swami Swarupananda was a direct monastic disciple of Swami Vivekananda
and the first president of the Advaita Ashrama
, Mayavati, near Almora
, set up by Swami Vivekananda
in 1899. Advaita Ashrama was a branch of the a religious monastic order Ramakrishna Math
, also set up by Swami Vivekananda on the teachings of his guru Sri Ramakrishna.
He also remained editor of Prabuddha Bharata
, an English-language monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order
, when it shifted base from Chennai
in 1898 and remained so till 1906 .
Swami Swarupananda was married early on in his youth but continued to live as a Brahamchari at his parents home in Calcutta; though soon just after three or four visits to the Belur Math
, he decided to leave home and become a full time disciple of Swami Vivekananda, and within a few days of his stay at the Math, he was initiated into the monastic order, (sanyas) , by Swami Vivekananda
on March 29, 1898 .
Meanwhile, Captain John Henry Sevier who had earlier come in contact with Swami Vivekananda
during his visit to London and become his disciple, travelled to India with Swami Vivekananda, along with his wife Charlotte. Seviers with the help of Swami Swarupananda, found an old tea estate suitable for the Ashram, at Mayavati, near Almora
in July 1898, soon the land was purchased and constructed commenced . The Advaita Ashrama
had its formal opening on 19 March 1899, which happened to be the birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna (Hindu calendar
), that year, with Swami Swarupananda its first head upon .
Sister Nivedita
had become a monastic disciple of Swami Vivekananda
when she took sanyas four days prior to Swami Swarupananda at Belur, here in March–April 1898, Swami Swarupananda taught her Bengali and Hindu religious literature every day, later at Almora
under his guidance she started reading the Bhagavad Gita
, and was inspired her attempt meditation seriously .
The publication of Prabuddha Bharata
, the Official Journal of the Ramakrishna Order
was halted abruptly due to the death of its editor B. R. Rajam Iyer, who was only twenty-four years old, on May 13, 1898 in Chennai
, Swami Vivekananda who was then resting at Almora
asked Servier and his wife to revive the magazine, and the next issue of the magazine was published from Thompson house in Almora town in August 1898 with Swami Swarupananda as its editor, and later with the opening of the Ashram shifted base there in 1899 .
The location however didn't suit Swami Swarupananda well, as the constant uphill and downhill of Mayavati terrain, took a toll on his heart, and in November 1901 he was in Calcutta with Swami Vivekananda recuperating ; however he continued to edit the magazine and run the Ashram for another six year, when in 1906, he died in Nainital.
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
and the first president of the Advaita Ashrama
Advaita Ashrama
Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math, founded on 19 March 1899 at the behest of Swami Vivekananda, by his disciples Captain James Henry Sevier and Mrs Charlotte Sevier. Today it is entrusted with the propagation of original writings of Swami Vivekananda...
, Mayavati, near Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
, set up by Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
in 1899. Advaita Ashrama was a branch of the a religious monastic order Ramakrishna Math
Ramakrishna Math
Ramakrishna Math is a religious monastic order, considered part of the Hindu reform movements. It was set up by Swami Vivekananda to follow the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna...
, also set up by Swami Vivekananda on the teachings of his guru Sri Ramakrishna.
He also remained editor of Prabuddha Bharata
Prabuddha Bharata
Prabuddha Bharata or Awakened India is an English-language monthly magazine of the Ramakrishna Order, in publication since July 1896. It carries articles and translations by monks, scholars, and writers on various religious and cultural themes...
, an English-language monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order
Ramakrishna Order
The Ramakrishna Order is the monastic organization founded by Sri Ramakrishna and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. It encompasses the twin organizations Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, both headquartered at Belur Math near Kolkata, India....
, when it shifted base from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
in 1898 and remained so till 1906 .
Advaita Ashrama and Prabuddha Bharata
Belur Math
' or Belur Mutt is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta...
, he decided to leave home and become a full time disciple of Swami Vivekananda, and within a few days of his stay at the Math, he was initiated into the monastic order, (sanyas) , by Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
on March 29, 1898 .
Meanwhile, Captain John Henry Sevier who had earlier come in contact with Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
during his visit to London and become his disciple, travelled to India with Swami Vivekananda, along with his wife Charlotte. Seviers with the help of Swami Swarupananda, found an old tea estate suitable for the Ashram, at Mayavati, near Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
in July 1898, soon the land was purchased and constructed commenced . The Advaita Ashrama
Advaita Ashrama
Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math, founded on 19 March 1899 at the behest of Swami Vivekananda, by his disciples Captain James Henry Sevier and Mrs Charlotte Sevier. Today it is entrusted with the propagation of original writings of Swami Vivekananda...
had its formal opening on 19 March 1899, which happened to be the birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna (Hindu calendar
Hindu calendar
The hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
), that year, with Swami Swarupananda its first head upon .
Sister Nivedita
Sister Nivedita
- A benediction to Sister Nivedita by Swami Vivekananda Sister Nivedita ; ; , born as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, was a Scots-Irish social worker, author, teacher and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She met Vivekananda in 1895 in London and travelled to Calcutta, India in 1898...
had become a monastic disciple of Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
when she took sanyas four days prior to Swami Swarupananda at Belur, here in March–April 1898, Swami Swarupananda taught her Bengali and Hindu religious literature every day, later at Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
under his guidance she started reading the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, and was inspired her attempt meditation seriously .
The publication of Prabuddha Bharata
Prabuddha Bharata
Prabuddha Bharata or Awakened India is an English-language monthly magazine of the Ramakrishna Order, in publication since July 1896. It carries articles and translations by monks, scholars, and writers on various religious and cultural themes...
, the Official Journal of the Ramakrishna Order
Ramakrishna Order
The Ramakrishna Order is the monastic organization founded by Sri Ramakrishna and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. It encompasses the twin organizations Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, both headquartered at Belur Math near Kolkata, India....
was halted abruptly due to the death of its editor B. R. Rajam Iyer, who was only twenty-four years old, on May 13, 1898 in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Swami Vivekananda who was then resting at Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
asked Servier and his wife to revive the magazine, and the next issue of the magazine was published from Thompson house in Almora town in August 1898 with Swami Swarupananda as its editor, and later with the opening of the Ashram shifted base there in 1899 .
The location however didn't suit Swami Swarupananda well, as the constant uphill and downhill of Mayavati terrain, took a toll on his heart, and in November 1901 he was in Calcutta with Swami Vivekananda recuperating ; however he continued to edit the magazine and run the Ashram for another six year, when in 1906, he died in Nainital.
Further reading
- The Life of the Swami Vivekananda, by His Eastern and Western Disciples, the Advaita Ashrama, Himalayas, by Advaita AshramaAdvaita AshramaAdvaita Ashrama, Mayavati, is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math, founded on 19 March 1899 at the behest of Swami Vivekananda, by his disciples Captain James Henry Sevier and Mrs Charlotte Sevier. Today it is entrusted with the propagation of original writings of Swami Vivekananda...
, Published by the Swami Virajananda from the Prabuddha Bharata Office, Advaita AshramaAdvaita AshramaAdvaita Ashrama, Mayavati, is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math, founded on 19 March 1899 at the behest of Swami Vivekananda, by his disciples Captain James Henry Sevier and Mrs Charlotte Sevier. Today it is entrusted with the propagation of original writings of Swami Vivekananda...
, 1947. Online version - Sister Nivedita's Lectures and Writings: Hitherto Unpublished Collection of Lectures and Writings of Sister Nivedita on Education, Hindu Life, Thought and So on, by Sister NiveditaSister Nivedita- A benediction to Sister Nivedita by Swami Vivekananda Sister Nivedita ; ; , born as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, was a Scots-Irish social worker, author, teacher and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She met Vivekananda in 1895 in London and travelled to Calcutta, India in 1898...
, Margaret Elizabeth Noble, Published by Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, 1975. Page 256 - In Memoriam: Swami Swarupananda.