Presidents of the Ramakrishna Mission

[Guest guest]

Dear Charan Dass,

The following is the traditionally accepted list of the Presidents of the

Ramakrishna Mission:-

1) Swami Brahmananda (1901 to 1922), 2) Swami Shivananda (1922 to 1934), 3)

Swami Akhandananda (1934 to 1937),

4) Swami Vijnanananda (1937 to 1938), 5) Swami Shuddhananda (1938 to 1939),

6) Swami Virajananda (1939 to 1952),

7) Swami Shankarananda (1939 to 1959), 8) Swami Vishuddhananda (1959 to

1960), 9) Swami Madhavananda (1960 to 1965), 10) Swami Vireshwarananda (1966

to 1985), 11) Swami Gambhir (1985 to 1988), 12) Swami Bhuteshananda (1988 to

1998) & 13) Swami Ranganathananda (1998 onwards - He is the present Pontiff

of the Order.)

In the above traditionally accepted list, Swami Brahmananda (Raja

Maharaj) is counted as the First President of the Mission. But, Swamiji

(Swami Vivekananda) started the Sangha (Ramakrishna Mission Association) on

1st May 1897. He was the President of it. Recently, in 1997, the centenary

of the Ramakrishna Mission was observed all over the world, based upon this

founding date. So, if we consider Swamiji as the founder of the Mission, we

have to accept Swami Vivekananda as the First President of the Mission.

In 1901, just a few months before his mahasamadhi, Swamiji made a trust

deed and transferred all the properties in the name of the Ramakrishna

Mision and made Swami Brahmananda as its President. So, technically, Swamiji

was not the President of the present Ramakrishna Mission as the original

name was Ramakrishna Mission Association. With this piece of technicality,

we can count Swami Brahmananda as the First President.

But when we celebrated the centenary of the Mission in 1997, we have to

include Swamiji's name in the list as its first President.

Let us see how Swami Brahmananda became the traditionally accepted first

President of the Mission. A meeting was held on 10th February 1901 at the

Belur Math in Swamiji's presence to elect the office bearers of the newly

registered body. According to the wishes of Swamiji, the

disciples of Sri Ramakrishna decided to appoint suitable persons among them

as the first office bearers for the posts of President, Secretary and

Assistant Secretary by a democratic voting system !!! There were three

candidates for the post of the President: 1) Swami Brahmananda (proposed by

Swami Premananda & seconded by Shivananda), 2) Swami Ramakrishnananda

(proposed by Saradananda & seconded by Subodhananda) & 3) Swami Saradananda

(proposed by Brahmananda)

Ballotting was conducted and Swami Brahmananda won maximum number of

votes and thus became the first President of the new Organisation.

It would also be interesting to note who were the other two office

bearers elected on that historic day: Swami Premananda proposed Swami

Saradananda as the Secretary and Swami Nirmalananda (Tulsi Mj) as the Asst

Secretary. Both the names were seconded by Swami Trigunatitananda. These two

names were elected unanimously without any contests !!!

It would also be interesting to note that Swamiji wanted all the then

living disciples of Thakur to be the Trustees of the new registered body.

But only eleven of them agreed to hold the posts of Trustees in spite of

loving persuasions. The following are the first list of Trustees: 1)

Brahmananda, 2) Premananda 3) Shivananda, 4)Saradananda, 5) Akhandananda,

6) Trigunatitananda, 7) Ramakrishnananda, 8) Advaitananda, 9) Subodhananda,

10) Abhedananda, & 11) Turiyananda.

Pleaee recall that Swami Yogananda had passed away a little while ago

and Swamis Adbhutananda, Niranjanananda, Nirmalananda and Vijnanananda chose

themselves not to yield to the loving persuations from their

brother-disciples to become the Trustees. Nevertheless, Swami Nirmalananda

agreed for the post of Assistant Secretary when Swamiji, Baburam Mj and

Sarat Maharaj went heavily after him to hold the post of Assistant

Secretary.

In our recent history, we can see another gap of less than a year

(1965-1966) without a President. It was just after the mahasamadhi of

Madhavanandaji in 1965. Yatiswaranandaji was the selection; but he declined

to accept the post. So, until his death, no other Swami took over the post

and hence the invitations for celebrations went out from the Math/Mission

offices in the name of Swami Yatishwarananda as its Vice President. Later,

Swami Vireshwarananda became the next President after his mahasamadhi.

With pranams,

Prakash Kamanat

[Guest guest]

Dear Kamanatji,

 

An excellent piece.

 

However the Ramakrishna Mission considers Swami

Brahmanandaji as the first President. Swamiji himself

said so when he pondered over Thakur's words that

Swami Brahmananda was fit to be a King (Raja). Swamiji

is considered to be the founder of the Ramakrishna

Math and Mission.

 

Another interesting anecdote here. When Swami

Yatishwaranadaji was officially approached to take

over the reigns of the Ramakrishna Order, it was given

to Swami Vireswaranandaji to carry the message to him.

He surprised everybody by asking Swami

Vireswaranandaji to be the President instead. And so

it was.

 

I hope everyone knows that Swami Gitanandaji is the

third Vice President of the Order now. He will stay at

Udbodhon.

 

Regards

Jagannath

 

 

 

 

 

 

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