Swami Purushottamananda

Infobox Person
name=Swami Purushottamananda


caption=
dead=dead
birth_date= birth date|1931|6|14|df=y
birth_place= Moodahadu, Saligrama, India
death_date= death date and age|2005|2|25|1931|6|14|df=y
death_place= Bangalore

Swami Purushottamananda (1931-2005) was a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. In November 2000 he took over as the President of the newly-affiliated Ramakrishna Mission ashrama at Belgaum.cite web|url=http://www.ramakrishna-ashrama.org/spiritualSpark.htm|title=Swami Purushottamananda|publisher=Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Ashrama, Tumkur, India|accessdate=2008-08-04]

Biography

Birth

Swami Purushottamananda was born on June 14 1931 at Moodahadu, a village near Saligrama in the district of Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka as Ramachandra Bayari. He completed matriculation and served as a teacher in Malpe and Madikeri.

Work as Sanyassi of Ramakrishna Mission

He joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1960 as a brahmacharin at Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama (presently Ramakrishna Math), Bangalore. He was an initiated disciple of Swami Yatishwarananda, the then president of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Bangalore and the Vice President of the Ramakrishna Order. He, as brahmachari Mukunda Chaitanya, underwent probationer's training at the Belur Math, headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission for two years.

He served at the Bangalore centre for about 33 years (up to 1993), and managing several of its activities, including Vivekananda Balaka Sangha and Vivekananda Yuvaka Sangha (the twin organizations for the character development of youth).

During May 1993 - Novovember 2000, Swami Purushottamananda served as the President of the Ramakrishna Saradashram at Ponnampet, Kodagu; and conducted a number of spiritual retreats and other programmes. The shrine and the prayer-halls were renovated and Sadhu-nivas (monks' quarters) constructed.Fact|date=August 2008

In November 2000 he took over as the President of the newly-affiliated Ramakrishna Mission ashrama at Belgaum. The historic building in Belgaum, where Swami Vivekananda stayed in 1892 for 12 days, was gifted to the Ramakrishna Mission by the Govt. of Karnataka. Swami Purushottamananda was instrumental in renovating this building, and constructing the Ramakrishna Universal Temple in the adjacent land in January 2004. [cite web
title = The formation of the Belgaum centre
url = http://rkmissionashrama.org/ashrama/the-formation-of-belgaum-centre/
publisher = Ramakrishna Mission Belgaum
accessdate = 2008-09-02]

He has authored several books, mainly in Kannada, including three biographies: on Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. One of his famous books — "A letter to a student", [cite web | title = Face Examinations Without Fear
url = http://spirituality.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1031779.cms | accessdate = 2008-09-02] , focuses on the examination fear of students. The biography of Vivekananda won him the "Vishwamanava" literary award of the De.Ja.Gou. Trust.cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = Purushottamanandaji of Ramakrishna Mission no more
work =
pages =
language = English
publisher = Newind Press
date = 2007-02-26
url = http://www.newindpress.com/Print.asp?ID=IEK20050225220832
accessdate = 2008-09-02 ]

The Swami was instrumental in the setting up of several voluntary organizations, Satsangs, as well as independent Ramakrishna Ashramas throughout Karnataka. He took a very active role in the Ramakrishna Mission activities — through his discourses, bhajans, and Satsang programmes.

Death

Swami Purushottamanandaji died on Friday February 25 2005 at the Narayana Hrudayalaya, due to a massive heart attack at the age of 73. cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = Purushottamanandaji dead
work =
pages =
language = English
publisher = The Hindu
date = 2005-02-26
url = http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/26/stories/2005022601320300.htm
accessdate = 2008-09-02 ]

Books by Swami Purushottamananda

** Yugavatara Shri Ramakrishna (Vol. I to Vol. IV) - a biography of Sri Ramakrishna in Kannada
** Shri Sharadadevi Jeevanaganga - a biography of the Holy Mother Shri Sharadadevi
** Veerasanyasi-, Vishwa Vijeta-, and Vishwamanava-Vivekananda - the three volumes of a comprehensive biography of Swami Vivekananda
** Brahmananubhavi - a biography of Swami Brahmananda

* Some booklets by Swami Purushottamananda
** English
# Letter to A Student
# Secret of Concentration
# Man and Money
# Youth and Vitality
# Useful thoughts for youths
# Build your personality

** Kannada
# Vidyarthigondu Patra
# Adhyayanadalli Ekagrate
# Dheerateya Dundhubhi
# Kabeera Beerida Belaku
# Sadyakke Ishtu Saaku (a minimalist Kannada dictionary for beginners)
# Tapassu Yashassu

* Audio recordings - CDs and Cassettes
** Prarthana Pushpanjali - recording of his live performance at Ramakrishna Institute of Culture, Kolkota
** Bhakthi Geetam - Live Performance at Ramakrishna math, Chennai
** Bhakthi Sudha - assorted bhajans and namavalis
** Bhajana Mala - assorted bhajans and namavalis
** Shiva Shakti Mala - Sanskrit and Hindi devotional songs
** Sri Ram Aradhana - Sanskrit and Hindi devotional songs
** Sri Krishna Bhajans - Sanskrit and Hindi devotional songs
** Bhajans(Vol-4) - Hindi devotional songs
** Bhajans(Vol-5) - Hindi and sanskrit devotional songs
** Stotras and Bhajans
** Arati & Sankirtana - Sanskrit devotional songs
** Bhajanakusumanjali - Kannada & Hindi devotional songs
** Baarenna Thaayi - Kannada devotional songs
** Kabeera Beerida Belaku (vol. I & II) - Hindi & Kannada

* Lectures in Audio Cassettes and CDs
** Vachana-Veda (16 CDs)
** Vishnusahasranama (3 CDs)
** Tittiriya Upanishad (2 CDs)
** Bhakti Yoga (1 CD)
** Chintana Part 1 & 2 (2 CDs)
** Pavitrateyatta payaNa (1 CD)
** Manassinante Mahadeva
** Yugakke Takka Saadhane (1 CD)
** Vinoda-Sunaada (1 CD)
** Sarvatomukha BeLavaNige(1 CD)
** PrItiya Riti (1 CD)
** Dhyana Yoga (1 CD)
** Vishwaroopa Darshana (1 CD)
** Sarada Devi Sandesha (1 CD)

Notes

External links

;Video Collections
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5906424750400998572 prarthana_pushpa]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5093023923528173514 Satsanga - Swami Purushottamananda]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8127310239912274800 A Day with Swami Purushottamananda - 1]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4106046998013041648 A day with Swami Purushottamananda - 2]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7043466109401395318 A Day with Swami Purushottamananda - 3] .

;Audio Collections
* [http://www.esnips.com/user/purushottamananda Collection at esnips]
* [http://www.archive.org/details.php?identifier=Arati_and_Bhajans_Ramakrishna_Mission Arati and Bhajans at archive.org]