His
was surely a life that was lived well. Consideration of lives and
deaths of all Swamis are of benefit to all. But the life of Swami
Abhiramananda ji and more particularly his death are of somewhat greater
significance.
Let us first reflect about his death.
Tackling
the worst case scenario, which some responsible people in my hearing have unfortunately not fully ruled out, was he hit on the head and
dumped into poor, old Ganga ?
On the night of 7th June, he touched the Ganga, came back and was walking in the the verandah under Swamiji's verandah, looking at the portraits of Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. That was the last time he was reported alive.
It is a pity that a particular CCTV camera malfunctioned that night.
Anyway,
it is a great relief that the reputed Police Force of West Bengal have
prima-facie ruled out possibility of any foul-play. Otherwise it becomes
scary to walk in the open spaces of Belur Math in the accustomed
carefree manner.
(See Times Now Report below).
(See Times Now Report below).
Tackling
the second scenario, did he enter into Ganga as a live self offering,
choosing a Shastra approved way for sadhus to give up their bodies ?
This theory has many takers.
But it is asked why now, why not later like how Swami Akamananda ji did in another Shastra approved way ?
Tackling the final option, did he slip and fall into Ganga ?
This theory has few takers among those who knew him but many among the general public.
Sw
Abhiramananda ji is well known for his efficiently in work. He
mentioned to me once that Swami Atmaramananda's file notings guided him
when after Swami Atmaramanda's sudden death, he had to fill the latter's shoes in Coimbatore. I hope that Swami
Abhiramananda's notings too help his successors.
It
is amazing that he could send his last thoughts by a detailed email
from his grave. At 9 a.m. the day after his death, all the trustee monks
of Ramakrishna Math received his last thoughts about this great
Ramakrishna Order.
It
does seem that he had premonition about his coming death. It is hoped
that these last holy thoughts of a great monk bear fruit and rejuvenate
this great Sangha. Let the dross in us be reformed and let the Eternal
shine forth with a cleaner glow !
Part 2 : On his life well lived :
Now that we have dealt with his death, let us turn
to his life lived well and benefit from it.
During
a stroll with him recently at Dehra Dun, sometime around Akshaya
Thrithiya, I heard something wonderful about his boyhood days.
He
lived in Paranur, a village in the nearabouts of Tiruvannamalai. This
village, he said, has to this day, innumerable dedicated people
following Unchavritti and Bhajana Sampradaya. After their daily Bhajana
rounds they all used to gather at his house for their Bhikshanna. His
father used to feed them daily. Thus he grew up in an exemplary devotion
filled ambience.
When
he mentioned this I had a distinct feeling that he wanted this to be
included in his obituary when I write it. Now I can guess that he must
have had some premonition about his date with Death.
He
was a great fan of my Homage series presented here and also my other
writings elsewhere. I particularly remember his appreciation of my 'Ten
Heads and their Tail' from 'Mahanta Purana' and my Poems on the Holy
Mother.
My first meeting
with him was when he was in TC and I was a PPTC Brahmachari in Calcutta
Advaita Ashrama. So many memories flood now but for now I will be able
to narrate only a few.
 |
| Swami Abhiramananda ji clicked this photo ... |
Following my success in the re-affiliation of the old Ramakrishna Mission centre at Kayamkulam, in
my present endeavour to bring about the reaffiliation of the old Ramakrishna Mission centre at Neyyur in Kanyakumari dt. and in setting
up some of its sub-centres, he was of great support.
I
pray that before 2018 ends, our Villupuram centre would be affiliated
(Abhiramananda ji had given his plighted word for this on Saradananda
Jayanti last year) and that something concrete would come up about
Kanyakumari centre and sub-centres (for which he had given great support
from the beginning and had also visited the place at my request).
I
pray that before 2018 ends, our Villupuram centre would be affiliated
(Abhiramananda ji had given his plighted word for this on Saradananda
Jayanti last year) and that something concrete would come up about
Kanyakumari centre and sub-centres (for which he had given great support
from the beginning and had also visited the place at my request).
That would be a fitting tribute to his memory.
I
hear that in his last great email offering, Swami Abhiramananda prayed
to be reborn and be of service to the Sangha in his next birth too. He
lived this life well. May his next life be better still !
Hari Om Ramakrishna !
Om Tat Sat Om ....
Some useful links :
Official Speak from 1 above :
Swami Abhiramananda (Shivakumar),
Assistant General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission,
passed away suddenly and most unexpectedly. Till the afternoon of 7
June, he followed his daily routine as usual. However, from the evening
of that day, he could not be found. After a frantic search, his dead
body was found floating on the Ganga, near Belur Math Ferry Ghat, on 8
June at about 8.15 am. He was 65.
Initiated
by Swami Vireshwarananda ji Maharaj, he joined the Order in 1974 at
Bengaluru centre and received sannyasa diksha from his guru in 1984. He
served as an assistant at Bengaluru, Singapore, Coimbatore Mission and
Chennai Math centres, and later as the head of Chennai Vidyapith and
Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya. He was an acharya of the Probationers’
Training Centre for about two years. In June 2014, he was appointed a
trustee of Ramakrishna Math, Belur, and a member of the Governing Body
of Ramakrishna Mission. In May 2017, he joined the Headquarters as an
Assistant General Secretary, the post he held till his passing away.
The swami was unassuming, jovial and hardworking. In his untimely
demise, the Order has lost a promising member.
