My Life is My Work

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The passion for the highest Truth, coupled with a deep interest in human happiness and welfare, has transformed a metaphysics into a loving faith, a world-view into a social philosophy. An idea and a vision become transformed into a lamp unto a feet and a light unto our soul; the Vedanta emerges as the Sanatana Dharma.

The Finitude of man is underwritten by the Infinitude of God; man is divine and his redemption, therefore, is implicit in his very being. He is not sinful or wicked by nature. He is the child of Immortal Bliss (amritasya putrah)..

This is a tribute to the Late and Most Revered Swami Ranganathanandaji, an eminent soul, a saint, an erudite scholar, a philosopher, a towering personality, a great orator, and above all, a lover of humanity and democratic values.

Swami Ranganathanandaji, the thirteenth President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, passed away on 25th April, 2005 at the age of 96 years. During his lifetime, the Swamiji never attempted to project himself but only the cause for which he tirelessly worked. He lived like a great 'Karma yogi' who never expected anything in return. True to his nature, he left the world quietly without drawing much attention However, he will continue to live on in the hearts of his innumerable admirers and disciples, not only in India but also in many other parts of the world.

Swami Ranganathanandaji was born in Trikkur, a small and quiet village near Thrissur, in Kerala, on December 15th, 1908. That was a blessed day as the Swamiji realized later, it happily coincided with the birthday of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, according to the Bengali calendar Shankaran, as he was named by his parents, was a bright child and an obedient son and student. It is said that his mother, a woman of strong character, exerted great influence on the boy He was an energetic lad who participated in vigorous sports such as swimming, boating, wrestling and volleyball etc. These continued to fascinate him until much later in his life.

He joined the Ramakrishna Order while still in his teens and started his monastic life performing various domestic chores such as cooking and dishwashing. At the same time, he learnt Sanskrit and the Hindu Shastras Shankaran was endowed with a sharp intellect, keen powers of observation, and prodigious memory, traits which he retained till the end of his life.

He possessed great leadership qualities, which the authorities of the Ramakrishna Order were quick to recognize. He was sent to head the Mission branch at Rangoon at a very young age and later, to Karachi. He personally steered his co-workers out of these two places in the most turbulent political periods.

It was perhaps at Karachi that his oratorical skills blossomed forth and until the end of his life, people avidly listened to his speeches, be they at the great metropolises of the world or in a small, obscure tribal hamlet. He summed up his life's mission by quoting Swami Vivekananda in his introduction to his magnificent book, The Message of the Upanishads. 'To put Hindu ideas into English and then make out of dry philosophy... a religion which shall be easy, simple, popular and at the same time meet the requirements of the highest minds is a task only those can understand who have attempted it. The abstract Advaita must become living, poetic all this must be put in a form so that a child may grasp it. That is my life's work. Swami Ranganathanandaji admirably succeeded in following this task put forward by Swami Vivekananda.