Swami Damodaranandaji mharaj is a great karma yogi.here is little information about him for the devotees who wants to read about the swami ji .I have taken this information from vijay badhwar so thank you .however it is edited and updated by me .Some comment on his skin being as fresh as that of a child, some talk
about the glow on his face; Swami Sridharananda at the Vedanta Centre
says that you have to poke him as in a beehive to enjoy the sweetness of
honey pouring out. I see the simplicity of love in him – no twists, no
turns; a whole-hearted love pours out when someone touches his feet and
there is ringing of bells in the laughter he bursts out in after every
short sentence he speaks.
That’s Swami Damodarananda.
And, it’s with a heavy heart we learn that he’s called it a day of
his Australian fellowship to return home at the age of 94, to be at
Belur Math where he had made a new beginning for his life as a teenager.
It was many years ago, he recalls with a memory that’s now fading,
that he had run away from home to join the Ramana Ashram in
Tiruvannamalai. “Inspired by a booklet about Ramana Maharishi going
around among students I wondered that there were Brahamapurushas like
him. What was I doing there; I should be with him at his feet. Aroused
by Shukata Samskaras, immediately I took a train, not even knowing where
exactly I was heading.
“A family in the train advised me where to get down from the train.
Otherwise I had no idea that I had to change trains on the way to reach
Tiruvannamalai. Hungary and exhausted, I reached the Ashram and sat for a
darshan of the Maharishi.
“Maharishi’s prolonged gaze, looking straight at me, sent me an inner
message what life had in store for me. I stayed for several weeks at
the Ashram helping in the kitchen and stealing every opportunity to
listen to Ramana Maharishi, even daring to ask him ‘the shortest path to
salvation’.
“In my spare time I read lot of scriptures, among that about Swami
Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada and Vivekananda. I had found my path in life and
felt very happy about it. But it did not last long as my family had
found out where I was and they forced me to return home.
“But the home coming did not last long. There was a Ramakrishna Math close to my house and I started visiting that often.
“One day I was reading the works of Swami Vivekananda when a
particular passage struck me. Swamiji had written, “You have devoted
innumerable lives to family and material concerns. Can you not offer one
life to God.
“Immediately, a voice rose inside me: yes, I can do that. I decided
to join the order and was initiated several years later by Swami
Virajananda,” Swami Damodarananda said.
During this time he travelled a lot – in the Himalayas, to all the
holy places like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Mt Kailash, a journey on foot in
those days. “I joined a group of shepherds and went with them through
the high passes.”
“One day they asked me to turn around for some time as they killed a
goat. It shocked me but realised that it was their way of life. I had my
‘sampa’ tied in a piece of cloth, a part of my survival kit,” he said
laughingly.
Immediately afterwards at the Ramakrishna Mission the foreign
postings started – 1954-60 in Rangoon, 1961-76 in Singapore and
immediately afterwards to Nadi, Fiji, where he stayed until 2000. During
those 24 years Swami Damodarananda visited Australia and New Zealand
often, a guest of Mr and Mrs Ramakrishna in Sydney, and crystallised the
Mission’s activities in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane.
Devotees recall Swami Damodarananda carrying a pile of books with him
wherever he travelled and distributing them among curious spiritual
seekers, encouraging them to study the scriptures and inculcate the
message of Sri Ramakrishna in their lives. This period marked the
beginning of Ramakrishna Mission in Australia.
Swamiji briefly returned to India in 2000, only to be sent to
Thailand in 2004. From Bangkok he also co-ordinated Mission’s activities
in Hong Kong and also reached as far as Perth where he stayed from
2007-09. He has been in Sydney since spreading his love among keen
devotees.
Now at 94, he’s still keen to be among his family of followers in
Sydney. “But it would be better if I returned due to my health,” he
thinks aloud.
“Has ever a stray thought come in his mind that he could have chosen another path in life,” I dare to ask.
“What path,” comes a brief but stern retort.
What was the ‘shortest path to God’ for people in family lives, I redirect the question he had once asked Ramana Maharishi?
“Sarveshu Kaleshu man anusmara yudhya cha – he quotes from Bhagwad
Gita and explains: engage in the war of life valiantly doing your
required duties. But offer it all to God.” ‘Kaam karte raho, naam japte
raho’, is his simple message.
Swami Damodarananda will visit all the centres in Australia before he
leaves the shores in November, and complete a full circle returning to
Belur Math where he had made a beginning some 70 years ago.
he was staying in the ulsoor math bangalore till 15 oct, 2012. now he is staying in ramkrishna belur math. soon he will come back to bangalore. he says -"if the ticket of ramkrisna come, i will go to ramkrishna lok and if not then i will come back to bangalore math in march 2012."
