The Guru-Disciple Relationship
From Divine
Life Society Publication: “A Brief Biographical Sketch of Swami
Krishnananda”
Revered Sri Swami
Krishnanandaji Maharaj took birth on the 25th of April, 1922, and was named
Subbaraya. He was eldest son of five children of a highly religious and
orthodox Brahmin family, well versed in the Sanskrit language, the influence of
which was very profound on the young boy. He had a high school education at
Puttur (South Kanara District, Karnataka State) and stood first in the class in
all the subjects. Not being satisfied with what was taught in the classroom,
young Subbaraya took to earnest self-study of Sanskrit with the aid of Amara-Kosa
and other scriptural texts. While still a boy he studied and memorised the
entire Bhagavadgita, and his simple way of doing it was not having breakfast or
even lunch until a prescribed number of verses were memorised. Thus within
months Subbaraya memorised the whole of the Gita and recited it, in full, every
day. Such was his eagerness to study scripture. Reading from the Srimad
Bhagavata that Lord Narayana lives in sacred Badrinath Dham, the young boy
literally believed it and entertained a secret pious wish to go to the
Himalayas, where Badrinath is located, and see the Lord there.
By the study of
Sanskrit works like the Bhagavadgita, the Upanishads, etc., Subbaraya was
rooted more and more in the Advaita philosophy of Shankaracharya, though he belonged
to the traditional Madhva sect which follows the philosophy of dualism. His
inner longing for Advaitic experience and renunciation grew stronger every day.
In 1943 Subbaraya took up government service at Hospet in Bellary District,
which however did not last long. Before the end of the same year he left for
Varanasi, where he studied the Vedas and other scriptures. But the longing for
seclusion and the unknown call from the Master pulled him to Rishikesh, and he
arrived there in the summer of 1944. When he met Swami Sivananda and fell
prostrate before him, the saint said: "Stay here till death; I will make
kings and ministers fall at your feet." The prophecy of the saint's
statement came true to this young man who wondered within himself how this could
ever happen. Swami Sivananda initiated young Subbaraya into the holy order of
Sannyasa on the sacred day of Makar Sankranti, the 14th of January, 1946, and
he was named Swami Krishnananda.
Sri Gurudev Swami
Sivananda found that Swami Krishnananda was suitable for the work of
correspondence, letter writing, writing messages and even assisting in
compiling books, editing them, etc. Later on Swamiji was given the work of
putting into typewritten form the handwritten manuscripts of Sri Gurudev, which
he used to bring to him every day. For instance, the entire volume of the
Brahma Sutras of Sri Gurudev, which he wrote by hand, was typewritten by Swami
Krishnananda. Swamiji confined himself mostly to the literary side and never
had any kind of relationship with visitors, so that people who came from
outside never knew he existed in the ashram. It was in the year 1948 that
Gurudev asked Swamiji to do more work along the lines of writing books in
philosophy and religion, which he took up with earnestness. It can be safely
said that from that year onwards, Swamiji was more absorbed in writing and
conducting classes, holding lectures, etc., as per the instructions of Sri
Gurudev. The first book Swamiji wrote was The Realisation of the
Absolute which was written in merely 14 days and is still his best
book—terse, direct and stimulating.
When it became
necessary for the ashram to co-opt assistance from other members in the work of
management, Swami Krishnananda was asked to collaborate with the Working
Committee which was formed in the year 1957. At that time Swamiji became the
Secretary especially concerned with the management of finance. This continued
until 1961 when, due to the absence for a protracted period of the General
Secretary, Gurudev nominated Swamiji as General Secretary of the Divine Life
Society, which position Swamiji held until 2001. It can very safely be stated
that in the history of the Divine Life Society none ever held, nor is likely to
hold, that responsible and taxing position of General Secretary for four
decades.
It may be recorded
to Swamiji's credit, without fear of the least exaggeration, that it is Swami
Krishnananda, the genius and master of scriptures, who alone expounded
practically all the major scriptures of Vedanta. These discourses were given at
the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy of the Society during the early morning
sessions, afternoon classes and the regular three-month courses. Most of them
have been brought out in book form and are authentic commentaries covering the
philosophy, psychology and practice of the various disciplines of Yoga. Swami
Krishnananda is thus the author of thirty-six books that were printed in his
lifetime, ten books that were printed after Swamiji's Mahasamadhi, and many
more books published on Swamiji's website, each one a masterpiece in itself.
Only a genius of Swamiji's calibre could do this in the midst of the enormous
day-to-day volume of work as the General Secretary of a large Institution.
Swamiji is a rare blend of Karma and Jnana Yogas, a living example of the
Bhagavadgita's teachings.
Such was Swami
Krishnananda's literary skill and understanding of the entire gamut of the
works of Swami Sivananda, numbering about three hundred, that when the
Sivananda Literature Research Institute was formed on the 8th of September,
1958, Sri Gurudev himself made Swamiji the President. Again it was Swami
Krishnananda who was appointed as the President of the Sivananda Literature
Dissemination Committee, which was formed to bring out translations of Sri
Gurudev's works in the major Indian languages. From September 1961, Swamiji was
made the Editor of the Society's official monthly organ, The Divine Life,
which he did efficiently for nearly two decades.
Swami Krishnananda
was a master of practically every system of Indian thought and Western
philosophy. "Many Sankaras are rolled into one Krishnananda," said
Sri Gurudev in a cryptic statement, which he himself has amplified in his
article, "He is a Wonder to Me!" Swamiji, as the embodiment of
Bhagavan Sri Krishna, lived in the state of God-consciousness and guided
countless seekers along the path of self-realisation. Swamiji attained
Mahasamadhi on 23rd November, 2001.
On Swami
Krishnananda's website at www.swami-krishnananda.org can be found all of
Swamiji's books, plus many discourses, audios, videos and photos. According to
Swamiji's wish and with his blessings, these are available freely to all.
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