History

Swami Virajananda: A Life of Spiritual Dedication and Leadership

Swami Virajananda was the sixth President of the Ramakrishna Order, born as Kalikrishna Bose. He joined the first monastery in Baranagar in 1891 and closely observed the lives of Sri Ramakrishna’s direct disciples. He was initiated by Sri Sarada Devi in 1893 and became a sannyasin under Swami Vivekananda in 1897. Although he only spent five years with Vivekananda, it greatly changed his life.

From 1899, he served at Mayavati Advaita Ashrama, later becoming its President in 1906. During his leadership, he strengthened the ashrama financially and increased the circulation of Prabuddha Bharata, along with publishing the complete works of Swami Vivekananda.

After spending eleven years in meditation and austerity, he returned to active service at Belur Math in 1926. He was the General Secretary from 1934 to 1938 and then became President, serving for thirteen years until his passing in 1951.

Ramakrishna Math and Mission: Spreading Spiritual Teachings Worldwide

To spread the important teachings of Hinduism, like the unity of existence and the potential divinity of the soul, Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission. These teachings were shown in the life of his Guru, Shri Ramakrishna, a great spiritual leader of the 19th century. Swami Vivekananda stressed that everything in the world is a part of God, and by serving others, we can elevate our souls and help society.

In May 1897, he started the Ramakrishna Mission organization. This organization works in the community with a spiritual focus, showing how to apply these teachings in real life. The roots of the Ramakrishna Math go back to when Shri Ramakrishna gave ochre robes to his disciples and asked Swami Vivekananda to help them live together, lead spiritual lives, and serve humanity.

Today, the Ramakrishna Math and Mission has branches around the world, spreading spiritual ideas to everyone.