1. Shuddhananda who was the fifth president of the Ramakrishna Order, was a direct monastic disciple of Vivekananda.
47 Facts About Shuddhananda
1. 2.
Shuddhananda became a trustee of Ramakrishna Math and a member of the governing body of Ramakrishna Mission in May 1903.
3.
Shuddhananda took up the editorship of the Bengali magazine called Udbodhan for sometime.
4.
Shuddhananda was appointed as the secretary of the math and the mission in 1927 and as the vice president in 1937.
5.
Shuddhananda is renowned in the literary circles to have translated most of Vivekananda's original works from English to Bengali.
6.
Shuddhananda was born as son of Ashutosh Chakravarty in 1872 in Serpentine Lane in Calcutta.
7.
Shuddhananda studied at the City College of the University of Calcutta, prior to joining the Alambazar Math of the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897.
8.
Shuddhananda had a group of friends all of whom became directly associated with Ramakrishna order in the later years as monks and all were disciples of Vivekananda.
9.
Shuddhananda spent most of his time in spiritual pursuits and reading and discussing religious books in the company of his friends.
10.
Shuddhananda closely followed the lectures published in Indian Mirror Newspaper and became attracted to the ideals of Vivekananda.
11.
Shuddhananda frequented the house of Gopal Lal Seal where the swami was put up, to hear his conversations.
12.
Shuddhananda's brother was Prakashananda, who served the Ramakrishna Order as a monk and was a direct disciple of Vivekananda.
13.
Shuddhananda was asked to put all rules in a positive form.
14.
Shuddhananda was asked on one occasion to deliver a lecture on Atman in English before an assembled crowd.
15.
Swami Vivekananda himself asked Swami Shuddhananda to translate his Raja Yoga into Bengali.
16.
Shuddhananda captured the lecture of Vivekananda on the Gita from his memory and wrote Gita Tattva in Bengali.
17.
Vivekananda had asked Shuddhananda to maintain a diary of the Math and prepare weekly report of its activities.
18.
Shuddhananda's diary is a historical account of the steady development of the Ramakrishna Order.
19.
Shuddhananda wrote many of the personal letters of his master.
20.
On 6 May 1897, Shuddhananda accompanied Vivekananda on his lecture tour in northern and western India.
21.
Shuddhananda mentioned more than once that Niranjanananda's influence had contributed greatly to his spiritual progress.
22.
Later, at the behest of Vivekananda, Shuddhananda worked as an assistant to Trigunatitananda, who was the editor of Udbodhan, the Bengali magazine of the Ramakrishna Order.
23.
Shuddhananda established a study circle in Belur Math to enable brother monks to learn the essence of the scriptures.
24.
Shuddhananda looked upon the activities of the Ramakrishna Order as the worship of the divinity in the form of the Holy Trio.
25.
Shuddhananda inspired other monastic organizations to follow a life of purity dedicated to God based on mutual love and affection among monastic inmates.
26.
Shuddhananda did not like any special arrangement to be made for him and stopped the authorities from doing the same towards the end of his life.
27.
Swami Shuddhananda served as the in charge of the first students' boarding house in Belur Math.
28.
When Trigunatita left for the Americas in 1902, Shuddhananda was asked to take the editorship of Udbodhan by Saradananda and Brahmananda.
29.
Shuddhananda focussed on translating and publishing in Bengali Vivekananda's speeches and writings.
30.
In 1903 Shuddhananda was appointed one of the trustees of the Belur Math.
31.
Shuddhananda led the effort of setting up a Vivekananda Society in Calcutta to spread the ideas and ideals and would contribute actively to the cause.
32.
Shuddhananda organized study circles and joined discussions on Vedanta among youth.
33.
Shuddhananda encouraged his brother disciple Swami Virajananda to publish the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda.
34.
Shuddhananda was responsible for planning and organizing the historic first Monk's Conference of Ramakrishna Order in Belur Math.
35.
Shuddhananda was appointed as the Secretary in 1927 after the death of Saradananda.
36.
Shuddhananda occupied this post until 1934, except for a short spell from 1930 to 1931 when he had to take rest on account of ill health.
37.
Shuddhananda was nominated as the president of the celebration committee for the birth centenary celebration of Ramakrishna in 1936.
38.
In February 1937 Shuddhananda was elected as the Vice President of the Ramakrishna Order.
39.
Shuddhananda occupied the position until his death in October 1938.
40.
Shuddhananda is renowned in literary and cultural circles as the translator of most of Vivekananda's works into Bengali, and as the best exponent of his thoughts and ideals.
41.
Shuddhananda's translations played a major role in spreading Vivekananda's ideas in Bengal.
42.
Shuddhananda succeeded Saradananda as the General Secretary of Order in 1927.
43.
Shuddhananda became the president of the Ramakrishna Mission after the death of Vijnanananda in 1938 and continued in this position until his death.
44.
Shuddhananda encouraged Arupanananda to pen his reminiscences of Sarada Devi and worked with him in compiling and editing the book.
45.
Shuddhananda suffered from ill health owing to the spiritual practices and hard work.
46.
Shuddhananda came to Kankhal in 1935 to spend sometime in solitude with another brother disciple, Swami Kalyanananda.
47.
Shuddhananda died on 23 October 1938 at the age of 66 In Belur Math.