Swami Sankarananda

Swami Sankarananda was born in Karnataka on the 13th May, 1900. He was a versatile genius. It is extremely rare nowadays to find one who so beautifully blends in himself the scholar and the Sevak, for whom cooking or scavenging, building construction or administration of an institution and thinking and writing on subtle philosophical subjects, would all be natural and therefore dear.

Sankarananda was. a linguist and has utilised his mastery of Bengali literature to interpret Tagore's works to the people of Karnataka. He has also translated several of Swami Sivanandaji's works into the Canarese language.

Since he joined the Sivananda Ashram in 1946 he has not spared himself in the service of the Master. Swami Sivananda initiated him into the Holy Order of Sannyasa on "Sankara Jayanti day" 1948. Since then Sankarananda has served the Master's Cause with a rare zeal and spirit of dedication.

He has distinguished himself in several departments of the Ashram. The Society's Garden at Rishikesh owes its growth to him.

Side by side, he has carried on his literary activities. At the invitation of the Mysore University, he delivered a series of lectures on Bengali Literature. At the

Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy, too, he delivered a series of lectures on the spiritual significance of the Mahabharata, which have been brought together in a volume entitled "The Glorious Journey".

His talks and writings share the nature of his life itself; they are all thought provoking.