Swami Brahmananda

Swami Brahmananda
Personal
Born	Rakhal Chandra Ghosh (1863-01-21)21 January 1863
Died	10 April 1922(1922-04-10) (aged 59)
Religion	Hinduism
Nationality	Indian
Notable work(s)	Sri Sri Ramakrishna Upadesha (Bengali)
Philosophy	Vedanta
Religious career
Guru	Ramakrishna
Disciples Swami Prabhavananda, Swami Yatiswarananda, Swami Nirvanananda, Swami Pavitrananda, etc.

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Brahmananda (1863–1922) was a direct monastic disciple of Indian Bengali mystic Ramakrishna and a brother disciple of Swami Vivekananda. His pre-monastic name was Rakhal Chandra Ghosh. He was the first president of the Ramakrishna Mission, which he served from 1901 to 1922. In the Ramakrishna Mission, he is known as the "spiritual son" of Sri Ramakrishna. He wrote a book named Sri Sri Ramakrishna Upadesha in Bengali which has been translated into English. Sri Ramakrishna told that he was a cowherd boy who used to play with Sri Krishna in his previous incarnation.

Biography

Early years

Rakhal Chandra Ghosh was born on 21 January 1863 in an aristocratic family in a village named Sikra Kulingram near Bashirhat, in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. His father, Anandamahan Ghosh was a zamindar and his mother was an ardent devotee of Sri Krishna. His mother passed away when he was only five years old and his father married for a second time. He was physically very robust and had interests in wrestling and other sports from his childhood. He started developing spiritual interests from an early age. Finishing primary education, he came to Kolkata in 1875 and was admitted to English High School. It was in Kolkata that Rakhal met Narendranath Dutta (future Swami Vivekananda). The fortuitous convergence of Rakhal and Narendranath occurred during their shared attendance at the same gymnasium. Subsequently, Narendranath introduced Rakhal to the Brahmo Samaj, a socio-religious reform movement. Influenced by this association, Rakhal pledged to refrain from idol worship, a commitment he made to Narendranath. Rakhal's deepening spiritual preoccupations caused distress to his father, Anandamohan, who decided to arrange his son's marriage to Vishweshwari Mittra, an eleven-year-old girl and the younger sister of Manomohan Mittra. Manomohan Mitra, a devout householder follower of Sri Ramakrishna, played a pivotal role in facilitating the encounter between Rakhal and Ramakrishna. This significant meeting eventually led Rakhal to make the life-altering decision in 1886 to renounce his married life and embrace the path of a monk.

With Ramakrishna

According to popular belief, Sri Ramakrishna experienced a profound mystical revelation wherein Goddess Kali placed a child on his lap. This vision initially instilled fear in Ramakrishna, given his lifelong commitment to celibacy and monasticism. However, Kali reassured him by explaining that this child would be a "spiritual son" rather than a biological one, unlike ordinary individuals. Another mystical encounter involved Ramakrishna witnessing Lord Krishna engaging in a joyous dance with a cowherd boy on a fully blossomed lotus in the Ganges. Interestingly, on that very day, Rakhal made his journey from Konnagar to Dakshineswar, traveling along the sacred Ganges to meet Ramakrishna. It was Manomohan Mitra who guided Rakhal to the presence of Sri Ramakrishna, thereby playing a crucial role in setting the stage for Rakhal's eventual renunciation. Ramakrishna became ecstatic upon learning that his name was Rakhal, a name that carries the literal connotation of a "cowherd boy." This revelation aligned with Ramakrishna's visionary experience, wherein he perceived Rakhal as an eternal companion of Krishna during a previous incarnation, assuming the role of a cowherd boy. Additionally, Ramakrishna asserted Rakhal's status as an "Ishvarakoti," denoting an ever-free soul whose sole purpose of descending into the mortal realm is to aid others on their spiritual journey. It is widely held that Rakhal, under Ramakrishna's guidance, had various mystical and spiritual experiences. Numerous accounts attest to Ramakrishna's meticulous training of Rakhal in the fundamental tenets of spiritual life between the years 1881 and 1886

Wandering years

'Swami Brahmanada' was the monastic name given to Rakhal Chandra Ghosh by Swami Vivekananda. He travelled to various pilgrimage places like Puri, Kamarpukur, Jayrambati, Varanasi, Omkamath, Vrindavan, Panchavati (associated with Lord Rama), Dwarka, Haridwar, Allahabad, Bhubaneswar. During his stay in Omkamath, Brahmananda was reputed to have entered a state of deep absorption known as samadhi for a remarkable duration of six consecutive days. Accounts from multiple sources indicate that whenever he embarked on pilgrimages to sacred sites, he would experience intense ecstasy upon beholding the presiding deity of each respective locale. Brahmananda's spiritual journey was characterized by arduous trials and rigorous ascetic practices, as he devoted himself to profound meditation and contemplation. It is widely believed that these endeavors afforded him numerous profound spiritual and mystical encounters during this particular phase of his life.

Relationship with Vivekananda

Vivekananda once bowed down to Brahmananda and said that son of guru is to be treated as guru himself and in turn Brahmananda bowed down to him and said that one's elder brother is like one's own father. When a western gentlemen approached Vivekananda for spiritual solutions, Vivekananda said him to go to Brahmananda and said that ,"There is a dynamo working and we are all under him. Even I have not the spirituality that Rakhal has. He is the jewel of our monastery, our king." Vivekananda, the founder of Ramakrishna Mission, relinquished his position as the head of the Mission and entrusted the presidency to Brahmananda. Swami Brahmananda held an immense reverence for Vivekananda, regarding him as an embodiment of Lord Shiva. Brahmananda was known for prioritizing the cultivation of love, devotion, and service towards God and humanity, emphasizing the transcendence of rigid rules and regulations. He encouraged the monks and novices under his guidance to rise above the constraints of conventional guidelines.

As President of Ramakrishna Mission

In 1901 he became the first President of Ramakrishna Mission. While making new centres, he used to prescribe designs for the buildings and used to plan before executing a relief work. He was very much interesed in gardening and fishing. Many new centres were established in Northern and Southern India due to Brahmananda's visits and impetus. He adviced the monks of Ramakrishna Mission to balance "work and worship". It is recorded that Swami Brahmananda, apart from giving spiritual instructions, used to joke with the monks and devotees and even used to play pranks on monks and his brother disciples. Once, there were quarrels between monks of an ashrama and when Brahmanada went there to see the situation, he did not do anything except sitting with the monks for meditation everyday and sending some monks to the Himalayas to practice asceticism. This unsual conduct is believed changed the whole atmosphere of the ashrama. In Varanasi he laid the foundation stone of the Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service. His favourtie pilgrimage places were Varanasi associated with Shiva and Annapurna, Vrindavan associated with Shri Krishna and the gopis and Puri associated with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Gauranga) and Lord Jagannath. Furthermore, Swami Brahmananda made significant contributions to the expansion of the Ramakrishna Mission. He personally laid the foundation stones for several notable establishments, including the Ramakrishna Mission in Madras (Chennai), the Ramakrishna Mission in Travancore, situated atop a hill with a commanding view of Thiruvananthapuram, as well as the Ramakrishna Mission Students' Home in Madras. In addition, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of another center in Dhaka. Devotees believe that Swami Brahmananda experienced a profound vision of Hanuman while in Varanasi, which marked the beginning of Ramnam Sankirtana, the devotional chanting of Lord Rama's name, at every Ramakrishna Mission center. This spiritual practice became an integral part of the mission's activities, instilling a sense of devotion and unity among its members .He supervised the construction of Ramakrishna Ashrama at Bhubanswar. He believed that Bhubaneswar contained a very covivial atmosphere for spirituality and the monks whose health broke down due to practicing severe penances at places like Rishikesh, they can come here and practice japa and meditation much more effectively. In late March 1922, he began to experience symptoms of cholera, followed by diabetes, which severely compromised his overall health. Despite the efforts of several physicians, his condition deteriorated. On the 10th of April, he reportedly experienced a visionary encounter with Sri Krishna, akin to the experience Ramakrishna had on the banks of the Ganges at Dakshineswar, before passing away. Devotees present at the time interpreted this event as the fulfillment of Sri Ramakrishna's prophecy that Rakhal would transcend his mortal existence upon realizing his true nature as a companion of Krishna.

Character and Legacy

According to various accounts and recollections, Swami Brahmananda was known for his serene demeanor, exhibiting a tranquil and gentle nature. He was believed to embody childlike simplicity throughout his lifetime.

See Also

• Swami Vivekananda
• Ramakrishna
• Disciples of Ramakrishna
• Ramakrishna Mission

References

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