Vivekananda Vedanta Society-Chicago

Born April 18, 1917 in Akola in Maharashtra state, Swami Bhashyananda was given the name Vasant Vishwanath Natu. His father, Vishwanath Vasudev Natu, and his mother, Annapurna, were pious, orthodox brahmins, and he began his Vedic studies in early childhood. At the age of five his father began to teach him how to sit for meditation.

Vasant received his Master in Arts from the University of Nagpur in central India, and held the highest academic degree at that time in Sanskrit from a recognized Indian university. Before graduating from college, he began to attend and finally joined the Ramakrishna order in Nagpur in about 1936.

Under the guidance of his Guru, Swami Virajananda, then president of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, he practiced Raja yoga for several years. In 1962 he was transferred to Calcutta to assist Swami Ranganathananda in the work of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, where he became assistant director.

In 1964 he was transferred to New York to assist Swami Nikhilananda, where he became well adjusted to American ways. And finally, on July 28, 1965, on the passing of Swami Vishwananda, he was appointed Swami-in-Charge of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society in Chicago.

Swami Bhashyananda's work in Chicago was distinguished by vigorous expansion. Within a year of taking charge, the congregation of the center tripled and in 1966 he moved the center from its Elm Street location to its present address. He also purchased a nearby bungalow for use of women devotees. His most dramatic expansion of the Society was the purchase and development of the Ganges Retreat facility in Ganges, Michigan.

Swami Bhashyananda was a frequent traveler, making semi-annual pilgrimages to India and dividing his time between Chicago and Ganges, as well as establishing over 40 "satellite" Vedanta groups throughout the United States and Canada.

A tall, well-proportioned, athletic man with regal features and a broad smile, Swami possessed an excellent sense of humor, and was an able story teller. His knowledge of the Hindu scriptures was broad and he had a talent of making lucid the most abstruse philosophical points.

In college, wrestling and soccer had been favorites of his and after the Vedanta Center moved to its present location in the Hyde Park area of Chicago, he would take long walks along the lakefront. Once, he and two of the bramhacharis took a walk that lasted for 22 miles!

In the mid-1980's, Swami Bhashyananda suffered the first of eight strokes. He continued to perform his duties as Swami-in-Charge for several more years, before Swami Chidananda was sent from India to assist him.

He passed away on October 4, 1996


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Swami Bhashyananda (1917-1996) Born April 18, 1917 in Akola in Maharashtra state, Swami Bhashyananda was given the name Vasant Vishwanath Natu. His father, Vishwanath Vasudev Natu, and his mother, Annapurna, were pious, orthodox brahmins, and he began his Vedic studies in early childhood. At the age of five his father began to teach him how to sit for meditation. Vasant received his Master in Arts from the University of Nagpur in central India, and held the highest academic degree at that time in Sanskrit from a recognized Indian university. Before graduating from college, he began to attend and finally joined the Ramakrishna order in Nagpur in about 1936. Under the guidance of his Guru, Swami Virajananda, then president of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, he practiced Raja yoga for several years. In 1962 he was transferred to Calcutta to assist Swami Ranganathananda in the work of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, where he became assistant director. In 1964 he was transferred to New York to assist Swami Nikhilananda, where he became well adjusted to American ways. And finally, on July 28, 1965, on the passing of Swami Vishwananda, he was appointed Swami-in-Charge of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society in Chicago. Swami Bhashyananda's work in Chicago was distinguished by vigorous expansion. Within a year of taking charge, the congregation of the center tripled and in 1966 he moved the center from its Elm Street location to its present address. He also purchased a nearby bungalow for use of women devotees. His most dramatic expansion of the Society was the purchase and development of the Ganges Retreat facility in Ganges, Michigan. Swami Bhashyananda was a frequent traveler, making semi-annual pilgrimages to India and dividing his time between Chicago and Ganges, as well as establishing over 40 "satellite" Vedanta groups throughout the United States and Canada. A tall, well-proportioned, athletic man with regal features and a broad smile, Swami possessed an excellent sense of humor, and was an able story teller. His knowledge of the Hindu scriptures was broad and he had a talent of making lucid the most abstruse philosophical points. In college, wrestling and soccer had been favorites of his and after the Vedanta Center moved to its present location in the Hyde Park area of Chicago, he would take long walks along the lakefront. Once, he and two of the bramhacharis took a walk that lasted for 22 miles! In the mid-1980's, Swami Bhashyananda suffered the first of eight strokes. He continued to perform his duties as Swami-in-Charge for several more years, before Swami Chidananda was sent from India to assist him. He passed away on October 4, 1996