26 Facts About Turiyananda

Swami Turiyananda or "Hari Maharaj" as he was popularly known as, was a direct monastic disciple of Ramakrishna, the 19th-century Hindu mystic from Bengal.

Turiyananda was one of the earliest missionary to be sent by his leader and brother disciple Swami Vivekananda to the United States of America to preach the message of Vedanta to the western audience from 1899 to 1902.

Turiyananda was born as Harinath Chattopadhyay, the youngest of six children, in an affluent Bengali middle-class family in Calcutta on 3 January 1863.

Turiyananda's father died when he was just twelve years old.

Turiyananda's ambition was to lead an austere life, observing all the orthodox rules and traditions.

Turiyananda was attracted towards the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, and strove sincerely to live up to that ideal One notable incident that depicted his adherence to the principles of Vedanta was his fearlessness upon a chance encounter with a crocodile.

Turiyananda was adhering to the principle of Vedanta that says the same divinity is manifest in all living organisms, and therefore one soul should not be afraid of another.

When Swami Vivekananda implored Swami Turiyananda to come to America to teach the message of Vedanta, at first he refused, but then his love and respect for the leader prevailed, and he set off on his mission.

Turiyananda then left the monastery and travelled by foot all the way to the Himalayas.

Turiyananda visited the holy shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath and stayed for some time in Srinagar.

Swami Turiyananda came back to the Ramakrishna Math in Alambazar before Vivekananda's arrival in India.

At "Alambazar Math" Swami Turiyananda took up the task of training young recruits to the Ramakrishna order, and began taking classes in Vedanta in Calcutta.

Turiyananda worked at first in the Vedanta Society of New York and took up additional work at Mont claire.

From New York, Turiyananda first went to Los Angeles and became quite popular there.

Turiyananda finally established the Shanti Ashrama with about a dozen students.

However, this experience was life changing for many of his students, one of whom wrote, To think of Turiyananda is an act of purification of mind, to remember his life, an impulse to new endeavour To many of his students Turiyananda was a living example of Vedanta.

Turiyananda had a very strenuous life in Shanti Ashrama and his health broke down.

Turiyananda therefore returned to India in 1902 and heard the tragic news of the passing away of Vivekananda on 4 July 1902.

Turiyananda built an ashrama in Almora together with Swami Shivananda, another brother disciple.

Turiyananda later developed diabetes and was operated upon for a curbuncle, without the use of chloroform or any anesthetic.

Turiyananda spent the next several years practicing intense contemplation in Vrindavan, in different places in the Himalayas, in Dehra Dun, Kankhal, Almora, etc.

Turiyananda used to say, If one serves the sick and distressed in the right spirit, in one single day one can get the highest realisation.

Turiyananda sympathised with the masses, and encouraged philanthropy and work for the poor and distressed.

Turiyananda cared not so much for public work and organisation as upon working personally with a smaller number.

Turiyananda preferred the style of an inward, meditative and contemplative life.

Turiyananda seemed to be of the opinion that with large organisations, spiritual work is apt to suffer.