About Baburam’s purity, the Master used to say, “He is pure, pure to the very marrow of his bones.”
Baburam Ghosh (Premonastic Name of Swami Premananda) was born at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 December 1861, at Antpur, a village thirty miles from Kolkata. His father, Taraprasanna Ghosh, and mother, Matangini Devi, came from two well-to-do and aristocratic families of the same village.
Baburam studied for a few years in his village and after that his mother sent him to his uncle in North Kolkata to continue his education. Where he was admitted to Banga Vidyalaya, then to Aryan School and finally to Metropolitan School, Shyambazar, where Master Mahashay (M.) was the head master, and Rakhal (Swami Brahamananda) was his classmate.
Baburam first met with Sri Ramakrishna with Rakhal, probably on 8 April 1882.
In 1885 Baburam was preparing for his Entrance examination, but after meeting the Master he cared very little for study. Baburam failed his Entrance examination, when Vaikuntha told Baburam’s bad news to the Master; he made a light of it. “Well”, he said, “that is very good. You have failed to pass; now you are free from all passes.” (In Bengali, “pass” is the same word as “fetter”)
On 7 March 1885 the Master said to M. in front of Baburam: “I have been seeking one who has totally renounced ‘woman and gold’. When I find a young man, I think that perhaps he will live with me; but everyone raises some objection or other.” Baburam had no objection, so the Master called him daradi, the companion of his soul.
Baburam was deemed a proper attendant for Sri Ramakrishna because of his absolute purity. He was one of those fortunate souls whose touch the Master could bear during Samadhi.
After passing away of Master all brother disciples took vows of renunciation at the country home of Baburam at Antpur, Narendra gave Baburam the name “Premananda”, meaning “bliss of divine love”, remembering the Master’s remark that Sri Radha herself, the goddess of love, was partially incarnated in him.
Swami Vivekananda made Swami Premananda the manager of the Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Order. Apart from his regular worship service, he trained the monks, entertained the devotees and visitors, supervised the kitchen, dairy, and garden, took care of sick monks, collected money for the maintenance of the monastery, and sometimes went on lecture tours.
Swami Premananda’s life depicts how a person acts, and lives in this world after God-realization. His heart swells with love and compassion for people’s suffering, and he acts without any ulterior motive of selfishness. Work turns into worship for him. Sometimes Swami Premananda gave his food to the devotees and went without. Devotees would sometimes come after dinner was over, and he himself would go to the kitchen and start cooking.
Once in the trustee meeting Swami Shuddhananda read the financial report and told Swami Brahamananda that there was a four hundred rupee deficit in connection with the service to the devotees. Swami Brahamananda asked, “Brother Baburam, how shall we tackle this deficit?” Swami Premananda replied, “Maharaj, I have spent this money for serving the devotees, so I shall collect it by begging.”
Because Swami Premananda was so loving to all, he was often referred to as the ‘Mother of the Math’
Swami Premananda was a magnetic and powerful speaker, and he talked based on his experience. Every year from 1913 to 1917, Swami Premananda visited East Bengal. He emphasized Swami Vivekananda’s karma yoga, practical Vedanta, and concluded that the religion of this age is to serve mankind.
A real teacher must be ready to sacrifice himself and to set an example for others. Swami Premananda’s favorite saying was: If you want to be a Sardar (leader), be Sirdar (ready to sacrifice one’s head).
Either because of physical exhaustion in Dhaka or from eating tainted food, Swami Premananda contracted high fever, doctors diagnosed it as kala-azar, a malignant fever that was then difficult to cure and frequently fatal.
On Tuesday, 30 July 1918 Swami Premananda passed away.
Baburam Ghosh (Premonastic Name of Swami Premananda) was born at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 December 1861, at Antpur, a village thirty miles from Kolkata. His father, Taraprasanna Ghosh, and mother, Matangini Devi, came from two well-to-do and aristocratic families of the same village.
Baburam studied for a few years in his village and after that his mother sent him to his uncle in North Kolkata to continue his education. Where he was admitted to Banga Vidyalaya, then to Aryan School and finally to Metropolitan School, Shyambazar, where Master Mahashay (M.) was the head master, and Rakhal (Swami Brahamananda) was his classmate.
Baburam first met with Sri Ramakrishna with Rakhal, probably on 8 April 1882.
In 1885 Baburam was preparing for his Entrance examination, but after meeting the Master he cared very little for study. Baburam failed his Entrance examination, when Vaikuntha told Baburam’s bad news to the Master; he made a light of it. “Well”, he said, “that is very good. You have failed to pass; now you are free from all passes.” (In Bengali, “pass” is the same word as “fetter”)
On 7 March 1885 the Master said to M. in front of Baburam: “I have been seeking one who has totally renounced ‘woman and gold’. When I find a young man, I think that perhaps he will live with me; but everyone raises some objection or other.” Baburam had no objection, so the Master called him daradi, the companion of his soul.
Baburam was deemed a proper attendant for Sri Ramakrishna because of his absolute purity. He was one of those fortunate souls whose touch the Master could bear during Samadhi.
After passing away of Master all brother disciples took vows of renunciation at the country home of Baburam at Antpur, Narendra gave Baburam the name “Premananda”, meaning “bliss of divine love”, remembering the Master’s remark that Sri Radha herself, the goddess of love, was partially incarnated in him.
Swami Vivekananda made Swami Premananda the manager of the Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Order. Apart from his regular worship service, he trained the monks, entertained the devotees and visitors, supervised the kitchen, dairy, and garden, took care of sick monks, collected money for the maintenance of the monastery, and sometimes went on lecture tours.
Swami Premananda’s life depicts how a person acts, and lives in this world after God-realization. His heart swells with love and compassion for people’s suffering, and he acts without any ulterior motive of selfishness. Work turns into worship for him. Sometimes Swami Premananda gave his food to the devotees and went without. Devotees would sometimes come after dinner was over, and he himself would go to the kitchen and start cooking.
Once in the trustee meeting Swami Shuddhananda read the financial report and told Swami Brahamananda that there was a four hundred rupee deficit in connection with the service to the devotees. Swami Brahamananda asked, “Brother Baburam, how shall we tackle this deficit?” Swami Premananda replied, “Maharaj, I have spent this money for serving the devotees, so I shall collect it by begging.”
Because Swami Premananda was so loving to all, he was often referred to as the ‘Mother of the Math’
Swami Premananda was a magnetic and powerful speaker, and he talked based on his experience. Every year from 1913 to 1917, Swami Premananda visited East Bengal. He emphasized Swami Vivekananda’s karma yoga, practical Vedanta, and concluded that the religion of this age is to serve mankind.
A real teacher must be ready to sacrifice himself and to set an example for others. Swami Premananda’s favorite saying was: If you want to be a Sardar (leader), be Sirdar (ready to sacrifice one’s head).
Either because of physical exhaustion in Dhaka or from eating tainted food, Swami Premananda contracted high fever, doctors diagnosed it as kala-azar, a malignant fever that was then difficult to cure and frequently fatal.
On Tuesday, 30 July 1918 Swami Premananda passed away.
Teaching of Swami Premanandaji
“I do not harbour the idea that I am good. I have come to learn. There is no end to learning. May the Master give us right understanding- this is my prayer. By observing the faults of others we gradually become infected by them. We have not come to look at their faults and to correct them. It is only te learn we are here. Lord, Thou art everything. Whom should I scold? Everything is He; there is only a difference in the quantity of dust that covers the gold.”
“If you are convinced that God knows all your needs and will fulfill them, then you don’t have to pray. But many pray to God for the fulfillment of their worldly desires, for material things. Is it not wise too pray to him for the eternal instead of the evanescent?”
“You must build your own character; you must make the whole world your own through love, so that people may find inspiration from your selflessness, renunciation, and purity.”
“What is wanted is character, purity, steadfast devotion to God. If you have them, you will prosper, otherwise you will totally fail.”
1 comment:
Congratulations on such a well written post on the divine nature and play of Pujyapad Srimat Swami Premananda Maharaj!
May he include us within the ambit of his unconditional love and blessings!
God bless you!
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