Swami Bhashyananda: (Third) Minister-In-Charge (1965 - 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.
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 Hyde Park, Chicago.
In 1970 the house next to the main temple (5419 S. Hyde Park Blvd.) was purchased and these two building were joined into one in 1974.
In 1967, a one-story building, located at 5407 South Hyde Park Boulevard, was acquired by the society and named "Holy Mother's Cottage" to house women devotees who wished to lead a spiritual life.
The most dramatic expansion of the Society was the purchase of 110 acres of land in 1968 & subsequent development of the Vivekananda Monastery & Retreat facility in Ganges Township, Michigan.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the new temple at the Retreat was performed on May 15, 1971.
In 1966, Swami bought a quarters at 5423 South Hyde Park Boulevard in Chicago
with the assistance of a staunch devotee from New York, Chester Carlson, the inventor of the Xerox.
The new temple, which was located near the University of Chicago, was dedicated on September 7, 1966.
In 1970 the house next to the main temple (5419 S. Hyde Park Blvd.) was purchased and these two building were joined into one in 1974.
In 1967, a one-story building, located at 5407 South Hyde Park Boulevard, was acquired by the society and named "Holy Mother's Cottage" to house women devotees who wished to lead a spiritual life.
The most dramatic expansion of the Society was the purchase of 110 acres of land in 1968 & subsequent development of the Vivekananda Monastery & Retreat facility in Ganges Township, Michigan.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the new temple at the Retreat was performed on May 15, 1971.
The Monastery land, with fruit trees, garden, a small lake and stream, bee-hives, farm acreage and farm animals, is restful to the eye and the mind.
It now contains a temple, library, museum, book store, auditorium, dining hall, and guest facilities for retreatants.
Each year there is a children's camp. Swami saw the Vivekananda Vedanta Society grow from a small center on Elm Street to a large complex of buildings at Chicago and Ganges.
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 Hyde Park, 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. Swami Chidananda was sent by Belur Math, India to assist him in 1991.
After suffering a series of strokes, Swami Bhashyanandae left the body on October 4, 1996.
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 Hyde Park, 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. Swami Chidananda was sent by Belur Math, India to assist him in 1991.
After suffering a series of strokes, Swami Bhashyanandae left the body on October 4, 1996.