19 Facts About Prakashananda

Swami Prakashananda was a monastic disciple of Vivekananda and a monk of the Ramakrishna Order who played a major role in propagating and promoting the Vedanta philosophy and Vivekananda's message in India and America.

Prakashananda came to the US in 1906 to serve under Trigunatitananda, a direct disciple of Ramakrishna at the Vedanta Society of San Francisco, later renamed as Vedanta Society of Northern California, and later became its president.

Prakashananda's father was Ashutosh Chakravarty and the family resided in Serpentine Lane in Calcutta.

Prakashananda's brother Sudhir, who was rechristened as Shuddhananda, had become a monk with Ramakrishna Order and was a direct monastic disciple of Vivekananda as well.

Prakashananda was associated with Gopal Chandra Ghosh, or Hutko Gopal, a direct householder disciple of Ramakrishna who would inspire him with anecdotes from the saint's life.

Prakashananda was greatly inspired by the ideals of Vivekananda, who was then in America, preaching Vedanta.

Prakashananda spent sometime in Vrindavan to practice austerities, in the company of Premananda.

Prakashananda accompanied Vivekananda when the latter went to seek the blessings of Sarada Devi in 1898 after his return from Kashmir.

Prakashananda accompanied Vivekananda in consecrating the house of Navagopal Ghosh, a direct householder devotee of Ramakrishna by installation of the image of Ramakrishna in the house.

The General Report of the Ramakrishna Mission Dhaka states, this branch of the Mission started as early as 1899 when Virajananda and Prakashananda, deputed by Vivekananda, visited these parts and by lectures and religious discourses created an interest in the message of Ramakrishna.

Prakashananda traveled on a pilgrimage to Kedarnath and Badrinath in the Himalayas in April 1900 and stayed in Rishikesh and Hardiwar for carrying out spiritual practices.

Prakashananda stayed for a while in the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama Kankhal with Kalyanananda.

Prakashananda helped Trigunatita for eight years until the latter's death in 1914.

Prakashananda took regular classes and gave public lectures and brought out a magazine called Voice of Freedom.

Prakashananda visited and lectured on Vedanta in different parts of California.

Prakashananda would bring students for spiritual practices and study of scriptures to this retreat.

Prakashananda sent Prabhavananda on a lecture tour and encouraged him to establish new Vedanta Centres.

The Vedanta Society of Portland was established in 1925 and Prakashananda himself presided over the inaugural ceremony.

Prakashananda suffered from diabetes and died on Sunday, 13 February 1927, at the age of fifty-three.