Daily Reading 6. Swami Shivapadananda Puri’s Guru Parampara or spiritual lineage.
For those not familiar with the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and the connection of its monks to the international Ramakrishna Math and Mission (note: not the ISKCON or ‘Hare Krishna‘) movement internationally, here’s the monastic lineage/ancestry, or Guru Parampara.
As described by our beloved Guru, Swami Shivapadananda Puri, this is the first ever photograph, of an Incarnation of God, in a state of Nirvikala Samadhi.
Paramahamsa Sri Ramakrishna is the Indian sage-saint, (1836-1886), acknowledged and revered by Hindus and many other global groupings, as an Incarnation or Avatar of God. Not as in the Internet social media version of the word ‘avatar’ though! Which got co-opted and then distorted from its original Sanskrit ‘avatara‘ meaning.
This website and blog – with presently just under 1800 posts, provides some insight into Sri Ramakrishna’s world-altering role and influence, through the talks given by our Guru, Swami Shivapadananda. This post puts our spiritual ‘family tree’ [Guru Parampara] and monastic lineage into context.
One of Sri Ramakrishna’s immediate monastic disciples [revered and respectfully referred to by his gurubhais as ‘Raja Maharaj’] and described by Master [Sri Ramakrishna] himself, as His ‘eternal companion’, was Swami Brahmananda Puri.
Swami Brahmananda Puri gave Diksha Mantra or spiritual initiation, to a young ascetic then named Neelakanthan Nair, from Kerala in India, who later became Swami Purushottamananda Puri, [our ‘Guruji’] of Vashistha Guha fame. Guruji was initiated into sannyasa by Swami Shivananda Mahapurush, also a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.
Swami Purushottamananda Puri, was in turn, the Sannyas Guru of Swami Nischalananda Puri, the founder, first President and Spiritual Head of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, who had previously been given Diksha Mantra by Swami Virajananda, a direct disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.
[In case you wonder why we regularly use the suffix of ‘Puri’, it’s because over time, monks from different orders have sometimes adopted the same names. So the differentiator is important for clarity and identity purposes. The ‘Dashanami‘ distinction system was inaugurated by Sri Adi Shankaracharya.]
Swami Nischalananda Puri, left and Swami Shivapadananda Puri, right.
Swami Shivapadananda Puri was one of two monastic disciples initiated into Sannyas by Swami Nischalananda Puri [who attained mahasamadhi in 1965]. But Swami Shivapadananda’s gurubhai, Vishnupriya Maharaj, regretfully passed away from stomach cancer, shortly after returning to South Africa, from India.
Swami Shivapadananda was the second President and Spiritual Head of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and the driving force behind the construction of several ashramas in South Africa. Notably the superb Headquarters complex in what was Avoca, and is now Glen Anil, in Durban, the Sri Sarada Devi ashram in Asherville, Durban and also the Chatsworth ashram.
So in a nutshell, the Guru Parampara is a magnificent blessing to those of us in it or connnected with it: Five – just 5 steps. Featuring God-realised saints with each step.
Underlined words are linked to clarification, explanation or other sources. Just tap on them.
The free-to-read or download, 396-page Flipbook version of Swamiji’s biography, ‘A Life Lived For Others‘, is available by clicking HERE. If you’d prefer the PDF version, please click HERE.
For our gurubhai Atmaprakash Kramer’s beautiful pictorial ‘memoir’ booklet of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, Avoca Ashram, please click HERE.
There’s also a Facebook site for Swamiji’s posts now. They feature newer readings published more recently. Click HERE to view.
These recordings or the excerpts from them, were made from the early 1970s onward, by Mother Radha, a close devotee of Swamiji’s and edited for uploading here by our gurubhai and her son, Brother Tim. Please be mindful that what Swamiji was saying may have been specific to those with him at the time.