Swami Turiyananda - The Master

Swami Turiyananda ( January 3, 1863 - July 21st, 1922 )

Swami Turiyananda was a great Saint and Yogi.

His family name was Harinath Chattopadhyaya.

He lost his parents when he was twelve years old and was brought up by his elder brother. From an early age his deep spiritual inclination was clearly evident.

His father, who was one of the ablest Sanskrit Scholars of his time, trained the boy in Vedanta and Yoga.

Even as a young man he would amaze groups of Pundits who came to consult him, not only by the accuracy of his quotations but also with the ravishing clarity of his interpretation.

Whether it was the Upanishads or the Yoga texts whenever they failed to understand anything they went to Rama Krishna for elucidation.

Swami Turiyananda spoke very little, but when he gave his opinion it was in no uncertain terms.

Harinath met Sri Rama Krishna at Bagbazar when he was around 13-14 and became an intimate friend and fellow disciple of Narendra Nath ( Swami Vivekananda).

Within several years of his first visit to Rama Krishna, Turiyananada took the begging bowl and became a novice Brahmachari and soon later was given Sannyas, Initiation into the ancient Monastic Order by Rama Krishna and was given the name Turiyananda, which superceded his previous family name.

After the demise of his Master he took an oath of renounciation with his brother disciples at Baranagore Math and for 12 years roamed the various places of pilgrimage all over India.

In 1899, when Swami Vivekananda started for America for the second time, he persuaded Swami Turiyananda to accompany him for the work he was doing in America.
They reached New York via England during the end of August 1899.

Swami Turiyananda worked first at the Vedanta Society of New York and then took up additional work at Mont Clair.

He travelled extensively in America along with Swami Vivekananda teaching Vedanta.

Swami Vivekananda had a great admiration for his brother disciple. In San Francisco, Swami once, in his characteristic way of presenting a point of view in the most emphatic and impressive manner, even belittling himself, told the students of Vedanta, ''I have only talked, but I shall send you one of my brethren who will show you how to live what I taught.''

The high expectation of the students of Vedanta on hearing Swamiji's words was more than fulfilled when they came in contact with Swami Turiyananda.

At times fiery exhortation came from Swami Turiyananda to the students to make God-Realization the only aim in life. ''Clench your fists and say - I will conquer! Now or never - make that your motto, even in this life I must see God. That is the only way. Never postpone. What you know to be right, do that and do that at once! Do not let any chance go by. The way to failure is paved with good intentions. That will not do. Remember, this life is for the strong, the persevering; the weak go to the wall. And always be on your guard. Never give in.''

He returned to India in 1902.

He spent much of his time in austerity and in training the younger generation of monks.

After being involved in setting up the Rama Krishna Mission Ashrama at Almora, he spent his last days at Varanasi before his demise on 21st July, 1922.

Swami Turiyananda was a Master of the senses. Once sat down to Meditate, external troubles could not reach the inner sanctuaries of his consciousness.

He had a wonderful capacity to dissociate his mind from the body, and had many times undergone operations, without the neccessity of any chloroform.

He had an extraordinary fortitude as well as a living faith on God. Once when he had an eye-complaint, nitric acid was applied to one of his eyes by mistake. When the mistake was found out and everybody got alarmed, he simply smiled and said, ''It is the Will of the Mother. '' Fortunately the eye could be saved.

He had a great heart. He felt for the masses of India and encouraged all forms of philanthropic activities.

He greatly eulogized the Seva work as inaugurated by Swami Vivekananda.

Whatever Swami Turiyananda would do he would, he would apply the whole strength of his soul to it. One found him always sitting erect - even in his illness, even while on a easy chair! This simple physical characteristic represented, as it were, his mental attitude.

He was unbending in not allowing Maya to catch him. He was a man of great spiritual intensity.

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