Shubhananda

Swami Shubhananda or Charuchandra Das, was a direct monastic disciple of Swami Vivekananda and was the founder of Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service,[1] in Varanasi. He obtained his monastic vow much later from Swami Brahmananda.

Pre-monastic Days and Contribution

Swami Shubhananda was born in Calcutta probably sometime in the 1870s. His father's name was Shyamshankar Das. He was a student in Ripon College.[2] As a college student he was greatly inspired by the talks and speeches of Ram Chandra Datta, a direct householder disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He got more interested in Sri Ramakrishna and his spiritual life, read about him and went to Dakshineswar temple every Tuesday evening to meditate and discuss spiritual topics.[2] He met Bijoy Krishna Goswami, who stayed in a nearby area and would sing devotional songs with him.[2] At this time his college education came to an end.[2]

His parents wanted him to get married and he was compelled to take up a job with Sinha and Chandra, a solicitor's firm.[3] He however spent his spare time in spiritual pursuits. He formed a study circle with a group of young like minded men.[3]

Swami Shubhananda

Swami Shubhananda, direct monastic disciple of Swami Vivekananda
Born Charuchandra Das
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died Haridwar, India
Guru Swami Vivekananda
Philosophy Vedanta

In 1895 he went to Kedarnath and Badrinath on pilgrimage with some of his friends and also visited Haridwar and Varanasi.[3] In 1897 when Swami Vivekananda returned from West and landed in Calcutta, Charuchandra was present in the Sealdah station to greet him. He along with a group of students pulled the car which carried Swami Vivekananda. He also met the Swami in Gopal Lal Seal's house in Cossipore where the latter was put up.[4] He started frequenting the Alambazar Math and then Belur Math and came in contact with the monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna[4] Swami Niranjananda was particularly fond of him. This association generated greater attraction towards spiritual life.[4] In 1898 Charuchandra's parents left for Varanasi. Charuchandra resigned his job and joined them. There he took up a teacher's job and had a circle of like minded friends.[4] He subscribed to Udbodhan, the Bengali monthly magazine of Ramakrishna Order, and he and his friends were greatly inspired by the poem of Swami Vivekananda called "To a Friend" or "Sakhar Prati" Among his friends was Kedarnath Moulik who later became Swami Achalananda. Swami Niranjananda had come to Benares and the group of young men used to hold spiritual discussions in his presence. Swami Kalyanananda also came to Benares and from him they realised Swami Vivekananda's ideal of service.[5] A youth organisation thus developed under the guidance of Charuchandra where the young men resolved to realise Swami Vivekananda's ideals in their life.[5] Inspired by the poem of Swami Vivekananda, one of the friends Jamini Ranjan nursed with his own hands an old lady who had been left to die on the roadside. This marked the beginning of Varanasi Sevashrama work.[6] Charuchandra and his friends searched for suffering and helpless people and served them as living Gods in line with the philosophy propounded by Swami Vivekananda.[6] The organisation founded was named as Poor Men's Relief Association. The money for the medicines, beds, blankets and other necessities for the hospital was obtained by begging. An orphanage was also formed and Charuchandra was wholly involved in the working of the orphanage leaving all worldly pursuits.[7]

In 1902, Swami Vivekananda visited Benares. Charuchandra came in direct contact with his Guru. Swami Vivekananda told him that service to poor as God and not mere compassion which comes from pride and egotism should be the guiding principle of the organisation.[8] The organisation was renamed by Swami Vivekananda's instruction as the Ramakrishna Home of Service. Swami Vivekananda gave initiation to Charuchandra under request from Swami Shivananda. He also published an Appeal on behalf of the Home of Service. After passing away of Swami Vivekananda the Sevashrama was handed over to Ramakrishna Mission and was renamed as Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service on 23 November 1902.[9] Eventually a new building was constructed in Luxa in 1910 which was inaugurated by Swami Brahmananda, the then president of the Ramakrishna Order. The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi also visited the hospital and blessed it. Charuchandra guided the sevashrama during the period of ups and downs always sticking to the principle of looking after patients as Gods and serving them with dedication. He instilled the same spirit in his workers.[10] He also established an orphanage for poor children and a home for destitute old women.[10]

Monastic life

Charuchandra retired from active service in 1921 after twenty years of labour. He went to Jhusi near Allahabad for pursuing spiritual practices in solitude.[11] On the birthday of Sri Ramakrishna in 1921, Swami Brahmananda initiated Charuchandra into monastic life and he got the name Swami Shubhananda.[11] Swami Shubhananda visited all places of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand as a penniless wandering monk and for food depended on begging. He was occupied with worship, meditation and other spiritual practices.[11] In 1924 he returned to Varanasi and stayed in a temple premise. He also encouraged the monks who were involved in service activities to spend sometime in spiritual practices in solitude and encouraged the Sevashrama management to buy a piece of land in Dehra Dun for establishing a hermitage.[12]

Last days

Swami Shubhananda suffered from various physical ailments. Under request from Swami Saradananda he went to Kankhal in April 1926. However he died apparently when he was accidentally drowned in Ganga in Kankhal.[13]

References

  1. ↑ RKM Varanasi
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 302. ISBN 9788175052468.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 303. ISBN 9788175052468.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 304. ISBN 9788175052468.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 306. ISBN 9788175052468.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 308. ISBN 9788175052468.
  7. ↑ Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 309. ISBN 9788175052468.
  8. ↑ Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 310. ISBN 9788175052468.
  9. ↑ Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 312. ISBN 9788175052468.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 315. ISBN 9788175052468.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 316. ISBN 9788175052468.
  12. ↑ Abjajananda, Swami. Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama. p. 317. ISBN 9788175052468.
  13. ↑ Mukherjee, Manishankar (Shankar). Abiswasya Vivekananda. Kolkata: Sahityam. p. 332. ISBN 8172670486.

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