Life of Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Paramahamsa Hariharananda's Birth

He was born on the twenty-seventh of May, 1907, in the hamlet of Habibpur, on the bank of the sacred river Ganga, in the district of Nadia, West Bengal, India. This was just a few kilometers away from the birthplace of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a God-intoxicated, divine incarnation of the fifteenth century. Hariharanandaji's childhood name was Rabindranath. His father, Haripada Bhattacharya, was a disciplined, dedicated, devout, and determined brahmin, well versed in all Hindu scriptures, as was his pious, generous and loving mother, Nabin Kali Devi.

Endowed with acute intelligence and remarkable memory, little Rabindranath astonished his family as he memorized all the intricate mantras, hymns, and prayers in Sanskrit. At the age of eleven, he took the vow of brahmacharya. With a growing urge for spiritual guidance, he went to Shri Bijoy Krishna Chattopadhyay, a householder and realized master who was living at Howrah, in west Kolkata, and took initiation into the path of Jñana Yoga at the age of twelve. With his natural gifts, he excelled in both sacred and secular education.

Initiation into Kriya Yoga and Meeting Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri

As an adult, Rabindranath did well in his educational studies as well as in his profession as a textile engineer. His thirst for spiritual development could not be quenched by material achievement. He was inspired by his family preceptor, Shri Bijoy Krishna, to meet Swami Shriyukteshwar, one of the most highly advanced disciples of the great master of Kriya Yoga, Lahiri Mahasaya.

Rabindranath called on Swami Shriyukteshwar at his Serampore Ashram in 1932 and received initiation into Kriya Yoga. Although Swami Shriyukteshwar had a fearsome reputation as a strict and even harsh mentor, he greeted Rabindranath warmly and treated him with great affection. Under Swami Shriyukteshwar's capable and holy guidance, Rabindranath learned more of astrology, astronomy, palmistry, and he practiced strict spiritual discipline and meditation. Later, when Paramahamsa Yogananda returned to India from the United States in 1935, Rabindranath was blessed to meditate with him, witness the state of samadhi, and from him receive initiation into second Kriya.

Swami Shriyukteshwar was very impressed with the young celibate, Rabindranath, and wanted him to leave life as a householder and take charge of his Karar Ashram in Puri. It took several years for the fulfillment of his noble wish.

In 1938, Rabindranath moved to the land of Lord Jagannath, the seaside city of Puri in eastern India. Later he lived permanently in Karar Ashram after taking the brahmachari vows, with the new name of Brahmachari Rabinarayan. He meditated and practiced sincere spiritual disciplines, including maintaining silence for many years. Within a short time, he attained perfection in three yogic mudras: khechari, bhramari, and shambhavi. After this attainment, many observed a supernatural divine light emanating from his body.

In the early 1940s, Shrimat Swami Satyananda Giri, then head of Karar Ashram of Swami Shriyukteshwar, initiated him into the third Kriya. Subsequently, he learnt all the other higher Kriyas from Shrimat Bhupendranath Sanyal Deva Sharman, a householder and realized yogi, the youngest disciple of the great guru Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya.

Samadhi Stage

In the mid 1940s, the most secret technique of samadhi was revealed to Brahmachari Rabinarayan by a young, anonymous and mysterious yogi. During this period he attained six stages of samadhi. Finally in 1948, he achieved the state of nirvikalpa samadhi (breathless state with no pulse) and the Paramahamsa stage. During this period of spiritual practice and attainment of perfection, he also remained engaged in the world as he managed the construction and beautification of the holy Karar Ashram and the samadhi temple of Swami Shriyukteshwar.

Mahavatar Babaji

In the late 1940s, the divine Mahavatar Babaji miraculously appeared in Brahmachari Rabinarayan's closed living room and again in his personal meditation room in Karar Ashram. Babaji blessed him and expressed his satisfaction with Brahmachari Rabinarayan's spiritual practice and attainment. He also said that he would make Brahmachari Rabinarayan, whom we now know as Paramahamsa Hariharananda, his divine instrument to propagate Kriya Yoga in the East and West. In the 1960s, Brahmachari Rabinarayan visited Ranikhet in the Himalayas and meditated in the holy cave where Babaji initiated Lahiri Mahasaya. There he heard the divine voice of Babaji say, "This time you cannot see me. Go and spread my work everywhere."

Despite his extremely busy schedule, he sheltered many helpless orphan children in the Karar Ashram. With his loving care and guidance, these children became not only well educated, but also well placed in the society.

In 1951, Paramahamsa Yoganandaji authorized and directed him to initiate sincere seekers into Kriya Yoga. From that time he offered the divine technique of Kriya Yoga to thousands of people all over the world.

A Divine Mission

Brahmachari Rabinarayan exemplified the practice of Kriya Yoga. He meditated rigorously and also discharged his duties in the world. On September 27, 1958, the Divine Mother appeared before him, graced him with blessings, and directed him to work for the spiritual uplifting of the world. In the Indian tradition, a brahmachari ultimately becomes a swami, a monk. With beautiful and solemn ceremonies and rituals, Gobardhan Pith Jagadguru Shrimat Swami Bharati Krishna Teertha Maharaj, at that time the Shankaracharya of Puri, initiated Brahmachari Rabinarayan into the life of sannyas. The white-clad Brahmachari Rabinarayan became the saffron-clothed Swami Hariharananda Giri. Brahmachari became swami on his birthday, May 27, 1959.

During his long stay in Puri, he was loved by many of the monks living there. They came to him for discussion, explanation of the scriptures, or clarification of their doubts. While in Puri, Swami Hariharananda was blessed by many divine masters including Anandamaya Ma, Nanga Baba, and Digambara Paramahamsa.

From this time forward he spent most of his time teaching Kriya Yoga. People of all castes, creeds, and social strata gathered around him to hear his sweet and divinely inspired metaphorical interpretation of the scriptures. He started touring different parts of India and spreading Kriya Yoga throughout the country.

In the early 1970s, a conference of religions of the world took place under the auspices of the Divine Life Society, a leading spiritual organization, at Cuttack Barabati Stadium. The stadium was packed with several thousand spiritually-oriented people from all over the world. There Paramahamsa Hariharananda, our Baba, delivered two speeches in English: "The Essence of All Religions" and "The Message of Spiritual Life." His presentations were well-received by the erudite monks and intellectuals in the audience. Inspired by his contribution to this conference, many spiritual organizations invited him to their own conferences and ashrams to bless and grace the devotees with his divine offerings.

Coming to the West

The sweet perfume of his presence, the radiance of his being, drew hundreds of people from around the globe to the Puri ashram of Swami Shriyukteshwar. They accepted him as their divine guide, their master. His message was spread in the Western world through those who experienced his enlivening presence and received Kriya Yoga initiation. They requested him to visit the West and there offer the tranquility, calmness, and spiritual advancement of Kriya Yoga.

Perceiving that going to the West would be in accord with the divine will of Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, and Swami Shriyukteshwar, in 1974 Paramahamsa Hariharananda traveled to the West to give people the taste of original Kriya practice. He first went to France and later to Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Holland, England, and many other European countries.

In 1975, Paramahamsa Hariharananda went to South America and then to the United States, Canada, and many other countries. Thousands of people in the West have been transformed by his holy presence, immediately perceiving the triple divine qualities of divine light, divine sound, and divine vibration in the whole body. Thereafter he toured different parts of the world carrying out the divine work of Babaji and the Kriya Yoga lineage.

His earlier training made him well-versed in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Brahmasutras, Smrutishastras, Karmakanda, and other holy Indian scriptures. Furthermore, he had thorough and impressive knowledge of the Torah, the holy Bible, the Quran, the Buddhist scriptures, and the ethical and metaphysical teachings of all the religions of the world.

Master of different systems of yoga, Paramahamsa Hariharananda was a unique spiritual preceptor who, through his simple lifestyle and with love, taught the scientific technique of Kriya Yoga in theory and practice. With a vermilion mark like the rising sun on his forehead, with long hair and flowing beard, and blessed with a beautiful, divine aura, the saffron-clad Gurudev Hariharanandaji attracted and uplifted followers through his magnificent appearance and presence.

Able to teach in many languages, in a voice that soothed and delighted, he touched the heart of his disciples. His simple happy smile was enough to induce ecstasy.

His empathy seemed boundless. With children he was childlike; with the old, he was an elder. He was so loving, caring and affectionate that everyone coming into his divine company still retains the sweet memory.

Although he was physically robust long into old age, he kept his body going to give his disciples every last ounce of service he could, and to permit them the joy of serving him in his eventual infirmity. He showed us how to live, and he showed us how to leave this worldly existence. His life was an ideal life of sacrifice and God consciousness. He used every opportunity to teach us so that we may progress on the spiritual path.

Paramahamsa Hariharananda and the Kriya Yoga lineage are active in this world, ready and willing to help you to realize your own divine stature.

Source: the Foreword and short biography in The Ocean of Divine Bliss: The Complete Works of Kriya Yoga Master Paramahamsa Hariharananda (pages xviii–xlii).