Swami Prameyananda - Belur Math

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$Emblem of Holistic Spirituality - Belur Math$

SWAMI PRAMEYANANDA As is well known, the partition of India in 1947 brought in its wake communal disturbances on a massive scale in various parts of the country. The small town of Karimganj in Assam on the Bangladesh border (then East Pakistan) played host in 1950 to thousands of hapless refugees from across the border. At the earnest request of the government, the Karimganj centre of the Ramakrishna Mission undertook refugee relief work. Swami Gopeshwarananda, head of the centre, deputed his able assistant Swami Shivaramananda to take charge of the relief operations. With Swamis Prathamananda, Udgeethananda, and Ekananda (who were all brahmacharins then), and youthful volunteers from the local schools and colleges, relief activities proceeded in right earnest. Though many jobs had to be attended to, the main tasks were to bring truckloads of displaced people from the East Pakistan border to the sprawling makeshift bamboo shelters, supply drinking water, arrange for sanitation, distribute food coupons, and last but not the least, provide medical help wherever necessary. Among the many volunteers was one thinly built, fair complexioned student who was working enthusiastically with the team without respite. Word soon spread that this shy lad had passed the matriculation examination. On learning of this Swami Shivaramananda, camp-in-charge, asked the boy to go back home and try for college admission. The dejected boy had to reluctantly trudge back home (which was close to the Karimganj centre). He conveyed to his parents that he had no more interest in studies and that he had decided the path he wanted to tread in life. Soon after, he came and confided to Swami Gopeshwarananda that he wanted to join the Order. This lad was later to be Swami Prameyananda, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order. Ramgopal Bhattacharya was his earlier name; he was born in April 1933 in the village of Kani-shail (Dhakadakhin section) in Sylhet district of today’s Bangladesh—the place of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s ancestry. His parents Sasadhar Bhattacharya and Nistarini Devi were quite orthodox. His father would not touch food or drink without first finishing the Narayana-shila puja. Ramgopal was endearingly called “Gopal” in the family. He manifested a religious temperament even from very early days; he attended to the Narayana-shila puja at their home soon after he was invested with the sacred thread (upanayana). His mother Nistarini Devi was noted for her magnanimity, forbearance, compassion 3 and helping nature. Gifted with ample fortitude, she would face life’s trials and tribulations smilingly. On many an occasion she parted with her meal to feed a hungry guest. The boy Ramgopal imbibed many of his noble parents’ noble qualities. His Sylhet days he utilized equally for studies and religious rituals. Having been displaced from his roots in Sylhet, Sasadhar Bhattacharya settled in a rented house in Karimganj and, despite dire poverty, displayed his unshakeable faith in Divine Providence. Ramgopal was the sixth of eight brothers and had two younger sisters. He could study up to class eight in the Dhakadakhin High School at Sylhet and now got admitted to the Government High School in Karimganj. As it turned out, all the seven friends of Ramgopal who participated in the relief operations embraced the monastic life and thus earned for Swami Shivaramananda the reputation as a child-lifting sadhu. To sustain the relief operations, a large pot would be kept in every house in the locality. Every day the lady of the house would deposit one fistful of rice in the pot; the pots would be collected on the seventh day and the rice thus collected would be utilized to feed the residents of the relief camp. Since he had completed his schooling by now, his elder brothers were eager to get Ramgopal admitted to college. However, young Ramgopal was lost in thoughts of Sri Ramakrishna and the Ramakrishna Mission. The affection of the sadhus at the Karimganj centre too seemed to draw him like a magnet. The world lost its charm for him. He opened his heart to his eldest sisterin-law and without much ado renounced hearth and home to join the Mission in 1951. His parents were naturally heart broken; but, fortunately for Ramgopal, his eldest brother wrote to their parents that if indeed one of their children could become a monk, it would be a boon to fourteen generations of the family. The sadhus at the Karimganj centre too played their part in consoling the doting parents and assured them that Ramgopal’s further education was now the Mission’s responsibility. Swami Gopeshwarananda welcomed young Ramgopal to the Ramakrishna Mission with open arms; he was asked to continue his work in the relief camp. As the disturbances lessened and normalcy was returning, many of the camp residents were being settled in various parts of the country. The settlers had to be issued identity coupons for this. It was no easy job; 4
Ramgopal poured his heart out in this operation of distributing coupons to about 56,000 persons. The relief work also now took a new turn: for those who could not (or did not want to) move elsewhere, the government requested the Ramakrishna Mission to undertake a massive rehabilitation project. For this, in the district of Cachar, about 30-35 miles away from Karimganj, a land mass measuring 10 x 3 miles was earmarked at Sunbill. Developing the area took about three years of rigorous labour for the monks and volunteers. The entire area was occupied by muslims prior to partition; now Kaivarta Brahmins from the neighbouring Habiganj were being settled here. Slowly the settlement grew into a vibrant town. Swami Udgeethananda reminisces about those days: “The work was carried out with the help of seven boats as large as houses. Sometimes the waves would be so huge that we would be scared to stay on board. Preeti Maharaj (Swami Prathamananda) would be at the helm. Surprisingly Ramgopal had learnt to manouvre the rudder with much skill. We were much older than them (and also, we thought ourselves more daring) but without Ramgopal holding the rudder we would not use the boats.” An important incident occurred at this time. Swami Vireswarananda, then one of the Assistant Secretaries of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, came to the Sunbill site for inspection and stayed for several hours. Ramgopal undertook the responsibility of serving Maharaj at the site. His seva attitude was on display once again when, during the rehabilitation work, Swami Udgeethananda broke his arm and Ramgopal volunteered to feed him daily. From May 1951 to August 1953 Ramgopal participated in this relief and rehabilitation operation. A new life began when Ramgopal was thence transferred to Shillong centre. Swami Shankarananda, President of the Sangha, visited Shillong at that time to consecrate the marble statue of Sri Ramakrishna. Ramgopal received mantra diksha from him on this occasion. It may also be mentioned that he received brahmacharya vows and a new name Brahmachari Premeshachaitanya from Swami Shankarananda a little later in 1957. During this stay at Shillong, Ramgopal participated in the many ashrama activities like daily puja, Durga Puja, cooking, hostel supervision and fund collection. In addition to getting the guidance of Swami Saumyananda, head of Shillong centre, he also had the opportunity of working with seniors like Swami Gahanananda (later the 14 th President of the Order) and Swami Bhavyananda. 5 From Swami Gahanananda he specially learnt to look after sick employees about whom the swami would say “Are they too not our brothers?” He stayed in Shillong up to 1960. He was also fortunate to once do Kumari Puja at the Kamakhya temple (Guwahati) on the initiative and under the supervision of Swami Vishuddhananda. For a few months in 1960-61 he was assigned to Tamluk centre. Afterwards, owing to health problems he was brought to Belur Math. However, doctors could not diagnose his ailment; his condition was such that he could eat nothing more than two biscuits daily. Around this time Swami Yatiswarananda came to Belur Math from Bangalore and was worried to see his poor health. He requested his disciple Dr. Sanat Sarkar of South Kolkata to treat this young brahmacharin. Next he requested the then Secretary of the Institute of Culture to host Ramgopal at the Gol Park centre for ease of treatment. Meanwhile, Sri Ramakrishna’s tithi puja in 1961 was fast approaching; all were wondering whether Ramgopal would be fit enough for the sannyasa ceremony. Fortunately Dr. Sarkar successfully treated him, and subsequently Br. Premeshachaitanya got sannyasa and the name Swami Prameyananda from his diksha guru Swami Shankarananda in 1961. From April 1961 he served Swami Yatiswarananda for a few months. He was then posted to headquarters office. During that time he stayed at the headquarters’ building with Swamis Gitananda, Mahananda and others. On the Ekadashi day after Durga Puja in 1965, the ninth President of the Sangha, Swami Madhavananda, attained Mahasamadhi. Swami Vireswarananda succeeded him as the tenth President in February 1966. At that time Swami Premeshananda (Holy Mother’s disciple) was staying at Varanasi. Swami Vireswarananda went to Varanasi to meet him and took Prameyananda with him. On returning from Varanasi, Swami Prameyananda was made Swami Vireswarananda’s secretary. Prameyananda’s many noble qualities started manifesting after this. Many devotees came to understand and appreciate the ideas and ideals of the Ramakrishna Movement during Swami Vireswarananda’s tenure as President. Swami Prameyananda’s sharp intellect, good memory, sense of humour and sweet but firm dealings contributed in no small measure to this. Swami Vireswarananda relied totally on Prameyananda for diksha dates, places, candidates and travel modes. And Swami Prameyananda too always 6
Page 1: Swami Prameyananda Ramakrishna Math
Page 5 and 6: He cherished great shraddha for the
Page 7 and 8: Humility was second nature to him.
Page 9 and 10: calculate that we would allot some
Page 11 and 12: was a young boy of 16. Ramgopal Mah

Swami Prameyananda - Belur Math

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