Swami Smaranananda, President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Passes Away at 94

Tuesday at 8:14 p.m., Swami Smaranananda, the president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, departed from this life at the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan hospital.

As the 16th president of the order, he was 94 years old.

On July 17, 2017, at a meeting of the board of trustees of the Math and the governing body of the Mission at Belur Math, Swami Smaranananda was elected as the president of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.

The president has not been doing well for the past few months, according to senior monks in the order. He was brought to Peerless Hospital in Calcutta on January 18 due to a fever and other issues. On January 29, he was then moved to the Seva Pratishthan.

Maharaj's health steadily worsened in spite of the greatest medical care available, and on Tuesday night he passed away. The general secretary of the Math and Mission, Swami Suvirananda, said that the cremation would happen at Belur Math on Wednesday at around nine in the morning. "It is difficult to fill the huge void left by his mahasamadhi."

Senior monks of the order stated that Belur Math's gates, which were left open to his devotees and supporters all night on Tuesday, will stay that way until the final ceremonies are finished on Wednesday.

Condolences continued to come in as word of the tragedy traveled throughout the nation and abroad.

According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was close to Swami Smaranananda for many years.

The esteemed President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Sri Mat Swami Smaranananda ji Maharaj, devoted his life to spirituality and service. He had a lasting impression on a great number of people. Generations to come will be inspired by his wisdom and compassion.

Over the years, I had a really close relationship with him. I remember talking to him during my visit to Belur Math in 2020. The Prime Minister posted on his X Twitter, "A few weeks ago in Kolkata, I had also visited the hospital and inquired about his health." "My thoughts are with all of the Belur Math's devoted followers." Om Shanti.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sent her sympathies to all of the monks, supporters, and devotees of the deceased in her message.

"Deeply saddened by the news of the passing of the esteemed President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Srimat Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj. During his lifetime, this renowned monk provided spiritual guidance to the Ramakrishnaite world order, and he continues to be a comfort to millions of followers worldwide. The chief minister posted on her X account, "I send my deepest condolences to all his fellow monks, followers, and devotees."

Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in Bengal, too expressed sorrow over Swami Smaranananda's passing. In a post on X, he wrote, "My prayers and thoughts are with the countless people associated with Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission."

In 1929, Swami Smaranananda was born in the Tamil Nadu town of Andami. When he was around twenty years old, he got in touch with the Ramakrishna order's Mumbai chapter. He was drawn to the principles of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna, and in 1952, at the age of 22, he became a monk and joined the Mumbai ashram.

He received mantra diksha (spiritual initiation) from Swami Shankarananda, the seventh president of the Ramakrishna order, in the same year. Additionally, he earned sannyasa and brahmacharya vows from Swami Shankarananda in 1956 and 1960, respectively, and was given the name "Swami Smaranananda."

In 1958, Swami Smaranananda was moved from the Mumbai center to the Advaita Ashrama branch in Calcutta, which is the Ramakrishna Math's publication center. He spent eighteen years serving at the Advaita Ashrama centers in Calcutta and Mayavati.

He served as the assistant editor of Prabuddha Bharata, the English-language journal of Swami Vivekananda's Ramakrishna order, for a few years. According to a group of senior monks in the community, Swami Smaranananda strove to raise the caliber of Advaita Ashrama publications.

Swami Smaranananda was appointed secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Saradapitha, a school complex close to Belur Math, in 1976.

Over the course of his extensive 15-year tenure, Saradapitha's work on rural welfare and education experienced significant growth. He began significant relief efforts during the terrible flood in Bengal in 1978, aided by his monastic assistants.

In December 1991, Swami Smaranananda, a native of Saradapitha, was appointed as the head of Ramakrishna Math in Chennai. In 1983, he was designated as a member of the Ramakrishna Mission's governing body and as a trustee of the Ramakrishna Math.

Twelve years later, in April 1995, Swami Smaranananda began working as an assistant secretary at the order's Belur Math headquarters. Two years later, he assumed leadership of the twin organizations as general secretary.

For ten years, as general secretary, Swami Smaranananda led the global Ramakrishna Movement until his election as vice-president in May 2007.

He was elected president of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in July 2017.

Swami Smaranananda traveled widely throughout India and other countries, visiting several Math and Mission branches as well as independent centers. He shared the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, and Vedanta with a great number of people. Additionally, he taught thousands of spiritual searchers the mantra diksha.

Swami Smaranananda was a profound thinker and an avid reader. He has written several essays for the magazines published by the Ramakrishna order. His talks and papers have been collected into books, which include Musings of a Monk in English and Smriti-Smaran-Anudhyan and Chintan-Manan-Anushilan in Bengali.

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Everyone adored and revered Swami Smaranananda for his fervor for spirituality, simplicity, spiritual wisdom, and modest demeanor.