Abhedananda Swami

Born Kaliprasad Chandra in 1866, Swami Abhedananda became a direct disciple of the mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Following Ramakrishna's death, he engaged in intense spiritual practices and traveled extensively across India. In 1897, he was sent by Swami Vivekananda to the United States to lead the Vedanta Society of New York, where he spent approximately 25 years propagating the teachings of Vedanta. During his time abroad, he also visited Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Hong Kong. He returned to India in 1921 and subsequently established the Ramakrishna Vedanta Math in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Darjeeling. He was also known for his prolific writing on Vedanta and his advocacy for vegetarianism, delivering a notable speech on the subject in New York. Abhedananda passed away in 1939, recognized as the last surviving direct disciple of Ramakrishna.

Born Kaliprasad Chandra on October 2, 1866, in Calcutta, he was the son of Rasiklal Chandra and Nayantara Devi. At the age of 18, while pursuing his studies for the University of Calcutta's school final examination, he encountered Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar. This meeting profoundly impacted him, leading him to leave his home in April 1885 to be with Ramakrishna during his final illness, residing first at Shyampukur and then at the Cossipur Garden-house.

After the passing of Ramakrishna in 1886, Kaliprasad embraced monastic life, undertaking intense meditation and earning the moniker "Kali Tapaswi" among his peers. He formally became a Sanyasi, known as Swami Abhedananda Puri, alongside Vivekananda and others. For the subsequent decade, he journeyed throughout India, living as a mendicant and encountering various spiritual figures. He was recognized as a powerful speaker, a prolific author, a yogi, and an intellectual with deep devotion. In 1896, Swami Vivekananda invited him to London to help spread Vedanta in the West. Abhedananda arrived in the United States in 1897 to lead the Vedanta Society of New York, dedicating about 25 years to teaching Vedanta across North America, and also traveling to Japan and Hong Kong before returning to India in 1921.

Upon his return to India, Swami Abhedananda established the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society in Kolkata in 1923, later known as Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, and founded a branch in Darjeeling in 1924. He initiated the publication of 'Visvavani,' a monthly magazine for the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, which he edited for over a decade and which continues to be published. In 1922, he embarked on a journey across the Himalayas to Tibet, where he explored Buddhist philosophy. He later claimed to have found a manuscript concerning the lost years of Jesus in Tibet, a claim that has been met with skepticism from historians. He was a dedicated vegetarian, lecturing on the topic and advocating for it. He presided over the Parliament of Religions in Calcutta in 1936 during the centenary celebrations of Ramakrishna. Swami Abhedananda passed away on September 8, 1939.