President of Ramakrishna Math passes away in Kolkata at the age of 98
?Swami Atmasthananda, president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, breathed his last on June 18 at the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan Hospital in Kolkata. He was 98. He was admitted to the hospital on February 21, 2015 for treatment of old-age ailments. In spite of best medical attention, his condition deteriorated over the last few days and he passed away around 5.30 pm.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had received spiritual guidance from Swamiji in his young age. Shri Modi termed his demise as a ‘personal loss’. Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said it is a great loss which could not be compensated. Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy came down to Belur Math to pay homage to the departed soul. Thousands of people bid a tearful adieu to Swamiji before the cremation at Belur Math on June 19. A special Puja, bhandara and a memorial meeting will be held at Belur Math on June 30.
Born on Buddha Purnima day in May 1919, at Sabajpur, near Dhaka, Swamiji received mantra diksha from Swami Vijnanananda Maharaj, a monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, in 1938 and joined the Ramakrishna Order at Belur Math on January 3, 1941 at the age of 22 years. In 1945, Swami Virajananda Maharaj, the sixth President of the Order, gave him Brahmacharya vows, and in 1949, Sannyasa vows and the name Swami Atmasthananda.
After serving the Order at Belur Math and the branches at Deoghar (Vidyapith) and Mayavati (Advaita Ashrama), Swamiji got the opportunity to serve Swami Virajananda Maharaj, the then President of the Order, for a long time. He spent several years in his company in the solitude of Shyamla Tal in the Himalayas. In 1952, he was posted to Ranchi TB Sanatorium branch as an Assistant Secretary. He worked hard to expand the Sanatorium’s services in many ways. He was sent to Rangoon (Yangon) Sevashrama as its Secretary in 1958. He developed the Sevashrama Hospital and it soon became the best hospital of Burma (Myanmar) at that time. When military rulers took over Rangoon Sevashrama, he returned to India in 1965. He was posted to Rajkot branch as its head in 1966. The beautiful temple of Sri Ramakrishna at Rajkot Ashram was built during his tenure on his initiative.
He was elected a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and Member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission in 1973. In 1975, he was appointed as Assistant (General) Secretary of the twin organisations. Under his stewardship as Relief Secretary, the Math and Mission conducted massive relief and rehabilitation operations in various parts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. He became General Secretary of the Math and Mission in 1992 and continued to be in that post for five years till 1997 when he became a Vice-President of the Order. He was elected President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission on December 3, 2007. He visited various places in USA, Canada, Japan and Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Tribute by RSSRSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat termed the demise of Swami Atmasthananda as a painful loss. In a condolence message, sent on June 19 from Nagpur he said: “The sewa, religious awakening as well as the self-awakening activities undertaken by Shri Ramakrishna Mission are bringing about a meaningful change all over the country. Swami Atmasthananda had been leading all those activities since 2007. It was under his leadership that the message about all these activities was successfully spread in every nook and corner of the country during the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. During those days I got the opportunity to once have his darshan. His calm, satvic and inspiring personality had greatly energised me. But the Nature is not in control of human beings. It is now the responsibility of all the Indians to take the divine message of Shri Ramakrishnaji to all over the world. I pray to the Almighty that we all develop patience and balance to finish this holy task. I pay a tribute individually and also on behalf of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. |
