Omkarananda Mahaswamiji, the founder of Chidbhavananda ashram passes away

Omkarananda Mahaswamiji, who founded the Chidbhavananda ashram at Theni in Tamil Nadu, died after a brief illness at a private hospital here on 10th May (Monday).

“The pujyasri Omkarananda Mahaswamiji attained mahasamadhi at 5.40 pm in Madurai on 10th May,” a source at the ashram said. The peetadhipathi who was admitted with Covid-19 tested negative recently but had suffered a cardiac arrest two days ago. “Doctors advised us to shift Swamiji to Chennai for treatment but when an attempt was made to board him onto the air ambulance he developed breathing difficulty and was immediately rushed back to the hospital Madurai. Doctors at the hospital declared him dead,” devotees said. He was 65.

He was born as Manoharan alias Goshteswara Sharma to Vaidyanatha Ganapadi and Alamelu Ammal near Perur, Coimbatore in the year 1956. He was also the pontiff of Sri Bhuvaneswari Avadhuta Vidyapitham at Pudukottai. He was attracted to the Bhagawad Gita, Upanishads, and other Hindu scriptures from a very young age. He was also a follower of Swami Vivekananda’s works. He adopted the Vedic lifestyle from an early age and emerged as an erudite scholar well versed in Vedas. His mastery in both Tamil and Sanskrit, have earned accolades from across the counrty.

Swami Omkarananda, who took the mission of rejuvenating the spiritual values and cultural traditions of India, took his Sanyasa from Swami Chidbhavananda, founder of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaithurai. He studied Vedanta under Pujyasri Swami Paramarthananda, one of the foremost disciples of Pujyasri Swami Dayananda Saraswathi. He was known for expounding the essence of some of the sacred texts in Tamil, such as Thevaram, Tiruvachakam, Tirumandiram, Tayumanavars hymns, Bharatiyars songs and in particular Thirukural.

Swami Suddhananda says in a statement , “ I had seen him first ever time when He was a resident student with Swami Paramarthanandaji , learning the Vedanta Shastra from a very learned and capable traditional Guru. He always held Respected Paramarthanandaji in the highest esteem. It was like the river meeting the ocean. Both of them had similar background and they clicked with each other in perfect harmony. Since He was already a student of the Vedas, familiar with the traditional chanting and the art of worship, it was a natural shift to the Vedantic Wisdom – that too at the feet of a Teacher who had the privilege of being groomed by Poojya Swamiji Dayanandaji, who was the embodiment of the Upanishadic wisdom. Poojya Swamiji Dayanandaji perpetuated the Guru Parampara as upheld by Acharya Shankara to keep the unique yet the universal way of transmitting the Wisdom, the Atma Vidya. When the revered Shankaracharyas of both Kanchi and Shringeri had total admiration for Poojya Swamiji, Sringeri Acharya recognised the great traditional teaching of Poojya Swamiji by conferring on Him the First ever Shankaracharya Sammana. Respected Swami Omkaranandaji perpetuated that link with the Shankara Maths, upholding a hoary tradition, while moving around with people who were exposed to the modern day educational systems also”.

A Great Atman, a MAHATMA who tirelessly worked day and night to uplift our Society and protect the Dharmis who are being made a prey for false propaganda about our Dharma and attacked from various anti Hindu forces is no more in physical form with us. He combined in Himself essentially three schools of thought one Swami Chidbhavabanda the second Swami Chinmayananda and the third Swami Shanthananda of Bhuvaneswari Peetam . He was marvellous in expounding Thirukkural and Bhagawad Geetha in the same spirit. In the recent past He was the only Acharya who brought to limelight the Great Thamizh Vedantic Text Kailvalya Navaneetham. He was a Hindu Thought Movement in Himself. There are many unfinished tasks started by Him. The Hindus in general and His devotees in particular have to carry on and complete these unfinished tasks. That alone would be the fittest Tribute to the Great Mahatma Swami Omkaranandaji.” says writer R.B.V.S.Manian.

BJP leaders C T Ravi, L Murugan, H Raja, AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam and others condoled his death.