Humble Homage to Swami Ranganathanandaji

[Guest guest]

[Editorial (Bhavan's Journal Issue dated May 15, 2005)]

 

India's Greatest Saint-Philosopher of the Century

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Just as this issue was about to be sent to the printers came the news

that Swami Ranganathananda has joined the immortals. Swamiji was the

greatest philosopher-saint, made in the mould of Swami Vivekananda

himself, that India has gifted to the world in the 20th century.

 

There is no country in the world where he had not left an indelible

spiritual imprint in the minds of the people. If Swami Vivekananda

was the spiritual ambassador of India to all nations and peoples of

the world in the 19th century, Swami Ranganathananda was India's

supreme commander of the spiritual forces in the 20th century.

 

The dimensions of his knowledge, both temporal and spiritual, never

failed to amaze people who came into contact with him, be it for a

few moments or for much longer times. He combined in him all the

qualities that Lord Krishna described as symbolizing a devotee

beloved of the Lord.

 

Three years ago, Bhavan's Journal wanted to start a serial on

" Role models for today's youth " and the late Shri

Ramakrishnan enthusiastically welcomed the idea and then insisted

that the first person in the series should be Swami Ranganathananda.

But the proposers of the idea pointed out that saints and geniuses

are beacon lights showing the path to others and not role models for

emulation by the rest, Ramakrishnanji was insistent. He thought that

Swami Ranganathananda had so many dimensions to his personality that

displayed qualities like ceaseless work, relentless study, and an

infinite capacity to reconcile ancient wisdom with modern science,

all of which were worthy of emulation. " You don't have to

become a saint to follow a saint " , was his argument.

 

When Bhavan's Journal representatives met Swamiji at Bangalore

and told him of the idea, he promptly excluded himself from the

series.

 

He said: " My life is my work. By all means publish my writings

but not write on me as a person. Sanyasis must be seen, heard and

followed but never be written about in their own lifetimes. There is

still time to write my obituary " .

 

Somehow the idea of stating a serial on role models was dropped after

that.

 

Swamiji wrote prodigiously and on subjects ranging from spirituality,

history and culture to rules of conduct and application of science to

spiritual ideas. He was as brilliant a speaker as he was a writer. He

was a polyglot scholar who could read, speak and write in many

languages. Bhavan's book library is a proud publisher of several

great writings of Swamiji.

 

His Magnum Opus, the four-volume series on " Eternal values for a

changing society " is a work of perennial importance comparable to

Arnold Toynbee's " A Study of History " and Will

Durant's " Story of

Civilization " .

 

Swami Ranganathananda was a quintessential Hindu with not a trace of

bigotry, hatred or ill feeling towards anyone. He represented the

best traditions of scholarship and spirituality set by ancient India.

The Bhavan family has lost a spiritual mentor and guide.

 

Bhavan's Journal joins millions of Indians in paying its humble

homage to one of the India's greatest sages.