Keshavananda Brahmachari
| Swami Keshavananda Brahmachari | |
|---|---|
 Sri Sri 108 Yogiraj Swami Keshavananda Brahmachari | |
| Born | Shivanipur, Howrah, West Bengal |
| Died |
1942 Vrindavan |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Founder of | Katyayani Peeth of Vrindavan |
| Denomination | Dashanami Sampradaya |
| Order | Brahmachari |
| Philosophy | Advaita Vedanta , Shaktism |
| Notable disciple(s) | Swami Satyanandaji |
Sri Sri 108 Yogiraj Swami Keshavananda Brahmachari( Bengali : শ্রীমৎ স্বামী কেশবানন্দ ব্রহ্মচারী) (?-1942) was an eminent Kriya Yogi and master of the Tantras from West Bengal . He was an important disciple of Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri who is popularly known as Lahiri Mahasaya and was well known for his austere Yogic practices through which he had attained the highest degree of enlightenment within his lifetime. He spent a significant part of his lifetime in the Himalayas while being engaged in Yogic practices. He is one of the most remarkable saints, termed as Paramhansas, who had attained complete realization of God within their lifetime.
Birth and early years
Swami Keshavanandji was born in a village called Shivanipur in Howrah district, of West Bengal in a devout Bengali Brahmin family as the son of Lakshmi Kanta Banerjee. From his childhood he had religious piety and at an early age he left the family and headed towards Varanasi.[1]
Meeting his Guru at Varanasi
At Varanasi he met his Guru(preceptor) Swami Ramananda Tirtha of Kamrup Math Kali temple, near Dashashwamedh Ghat who was waiting to initiate him into the Brahmachari order of Hindu renunciates. He stayed with him for a number of years.[2]
During this time, Sri Lahiri Mahasaya , the doyen of Kriya Yoga, also lived close by in Bengali Tola. He spotted Swami Keshavanandji and initiated him into the Yoga as one of his principle disciples. He then directed him to spend some time in the Himalayas where he was to meet other masters.[3]
At Vrindavan and final departure
The mother Goddess commanded Keshavananda to proceed to Vrindavan and perform the most important mission of his life by locating the Peethasthan mentioned in the Puranas, install the holy icon of the deity Goddess Katyayani i.e. Durga and restart the worship of the Goddess for the benefit of mankind in the present times. Guided by the dictates of the almighty he came to Vrindavan and started living in a small hut on the banks of river Yamuna in Radhabaag and identified the Shakti Peeth. He gradually acquired the land and built the present temple and an ashram in the year 1923, where he lived the rest of his life until October 1942 when he attained final salvation.
Meeting with Yogananda
Paramhamsa Yogananda met Keshavanandaji at his Vrindavan Ashram and got to know many esoteric details of his lifelong sadhana and his sojourn in the Himalayas. Keshavanandaji also narrated his experience of meeting Mahavatar Babaji to Yogananda during this meeting. Keshavanandaji also handed over Babaji's message to Yogananda which was handed to him by Babaji during Keshavananda's chance meeting with the immortal saint in the Himalayas. This incident was recorded in Yogananda's famous autobiography entitled "Autobiography of a Yogi".[4]
Other Contributions
Once upon a time in a dilapidated ancient temple in Bhubaneshwar there was a holy icon of Shri Gauri Devi in an abandoned & neglected condition. The Goddess appeared to Shri Swami Keshvanandji during the state of his meditation and asked him to rebuild the temple. The temple, which is now known in Bhubaneshwar by the name of Kedar Gauri, is the result of this divine bidding. Swami Keshvanandji then established a hermitage near this temple. At Vindhyachal where he had his first vision of Param Guru Babaji, he built an ashram(hermitage).