Brahmananda Saraswati
| Brahmananda Saraswati | |
|---|---|
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | Advaita Vedanta |
| Personal | |
| Born | 21 December 1870 Gana, near Ayodhya, British India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Died | 20 May 1953 (Age 82) Calcutta, India |
| Guru | Swami Krishnananda Sarswati |
| Honors | Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math |
Swāmī Brahmānanda Saraswatī (20 December 1868 – 20 May 1953) was the Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math monastery in India. Born into a Brahmin family he left home at the age of nine in search of a spiritual master. At age fourteen he became a disciple of Swami Krishnānanda Saraswati. At the age of 34 he was initiated into the order of "Sanyas" and became the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math in 1941 at age 70. His disciples included Swami Shantānand Saraswati, Transcendental Meditation founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Swāmī Swarūpānanda Saraswatī and Swami Karpatri. Five months before his death in 1953, he made a will naming his disciple, Swami Shantānand Saraswati as his successor.
The Master later called Guru Dev by Maharishi and in the TM movement, was born into a Mishra Brahmin (priest caste) community in the village of Gana, near Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, India. He was called Rajaram in his younger days and was also known as Maha Yogiraj. At the age of nine Rajaram left his home unannounced to follow a spiritual path of renunciation but was soon returned to his parents by a policeman. On returning home, he asked his parents for permission to leave home and begin the life of a recluse. His parents wanted him to marry and live the life of a householder and asked their family guru to convince Rajaram to forget his dream of a reclusive life. The family guru, however, was so impressed with Rajaram's advanced state of wisdom and spiritual evolution that he gave up any attempt to change the boy's mind. The parents then also acquiesced and gave their permission for Rajaram to leave. Two days later Rajaram formally renounced his family life and left his boyhood home in search of solitude in the Himalayas. Rajaram traveled by foot to the town of Haridwar and then on to Rishikesh, the gateway to the Himalayas. Here he began the search for a suitable guru or spiritual master. Rajaram met many wise sages, but none of them met his requirements of lifelong celibacy and an intimate knowledge and experience of the Vedas.
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