Indian Philosopher

Swami Prabhavananda (December 26, 1893 – July 4, 1976) was an Indian philosopher, monk of the Ramakrishna Order, and religious teacher. He moved to America in 1923, founded the Vedanta Society of Southern California in 1930, and spent the rest of his life there.

Contents

• 1 Biography
• 2 Influence
• 3 Written works
  • 3.1 Original works
  • 3.2 Translations
• 4 Audio and video works
• 5 See also
• 6 References
• 7 External links

Biography

Born in India, he joined the Ramakrishna Order after graduating from Calcutta university in 1914. He was initiated by Swami Brahmananda, the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna, and the first president of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, headquartered in Belur, West Bengal.

In 1923, he was sent to the United States of America. Initially, he worked as an *istant minister of the Vedanta Society of San Francisco. After two years, he established the Vedanta Society of Portland. In December 1929, he moved to Los Angeles, where he founded the Vedanta Society of Southern California in 1930.

Under his administration, the Vedanta Society of Southern California grew over the years to become the largest Vedanta Society in the West, with monasteries in Hollywood and Trabuco Canyon and convents in Hollywood and Santa Barbara.

Prabhavananda was a scholar who wrote a number of books on Vedanta and Indian religious scriptures and commentary. He was *isted on several of the projects by Christopher Isherwood or Frederick Manchester. His comprehensive knowledge of philosophy and religion attracted such disciples as Aldous Huxley and Gerald Heard.

Prabhavananda died on the bicentennial of America's independence, July 4, 1976, and on the 74th anniversary of the death, or mahasamadhi, of Swami Vivekananda, the founder of the Ramakrishna Order in India and many of the Vedanta centers in America and Europe.

Influence

Prabhavananda's book The Spiritual Heritage of India was reviewed in the academic journal Philosophy. The review stated that "Swami Prabhavananda has written a charming and authoritative book on the spiritual heritage of India, by which he means that heritage in consonance with the Vedic tradition and its culmination in Vedanta" (p.:376). The reviewer stated that "throughout the book breathes an air of relaxed simplicity and conviction.... I was particularly refreshed by the absence of attacks on science, materialism, naturalism, and other such means to spiritual fulfilment" (pp.:376–377).

Prabhavananda and Isherwood's translation of the Bhagavad Gita was reviewed by Time Magazine in 1945. Time described the translation as "a distinguished literary work" that was "simpler and freer than other English translations (three of which have been published in the past year).... It may help U.S. readers to understand not only the Gita itself, but also its influence on American letters through one of its greatest U.S. admirers, Ralph Waldo Emerson" (pp.:98, 100).

Written works

Original works

• The Spiritual Heritage of India. Vedanta Press, 1979, ISBN:0-87481-035-3
  • Editions: Doubleday, 1962 (original); Anchor, 1964; Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1977, ISBN:81-7120-145-8; Vedanta Press, 1979, ISBN:0-87481-035-3; Vedanta Press, 1980; Cosmos, 2003, ISBN:81-7755-746-7
• Vedic Religion and Philosophy
• The Eternal Companion (Life and teachings of Swami Brahmananda)
• The Sermon on the Mount according to Vedanta
• Religion in Practice
• Yoga and Mysticism

Translations

• The Wisdom of God (Srimat Bhagavatam), ISBN:81-7823-315-0
• Shankara's Crest-jewel of discrimination (Viveka Choodamani) - with Christopher Isherwood, ISBN:0-87481-038-8
• The Upanishads - with Frederick Manchester, ISBN:0-451-52848-4
• The Song of God: Bhagavad Gita - with Christopher Isherwood, ISBN:0-451-52844-1
• How to know God, the Yoga aphorisms of Patanjali (Patanjala Yogasutra) - with Christopher Isherwood, ISBN:0-87481-041-8
• Memories of a Loving Soul: Swami Premananda, Teachings and Reminiscences
• Narada's Way of Divine Love (Narada Bhakti Sutras)

Audio and video works

• What is Religion? - CD
• Eight Limbs of Yoga - DVD
• Blessed Are the Pure In Heart and Be Still - DVD

See also

• Yoga in America

References

External links

• Audio recording of talk by Swami Prabhavananda, "Talks on Silence" (26 June 1966)
• Vedanta Society of Southern California

Foundations

• Advaita Ashrama
• Belur Math
• Ramakrishna Math
• Ramakrishna Mission
• Udbodhan
• Vedanta Society (New York)

Disciples
and friendsMemorials

• Vivekananda Rock Memorial
• National Youth Day (India)
• Swami Vivekananda Airport
• Swami Vivekananda Road metro station
• Swami Vivekanand Nagar
• Vivekanandar Illam
• Vivekananda Setu
• Swami Vivekananda statue (Golpark, Kolkata)
• 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
• Swami Vivekananda Youth Employment Week
• Vivek Express

DepictionsNamesake
educational
ins*utions

• Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University
• Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University
• Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College
• Swami Vivekanand Subharti University
• Swami Vivekanand University, Madhya Pradesh
• Vivekananda Degree College, Kukatpally
• Vivekananda Degree College, Puttur
• Vivekananda Global University
• Vivekananda Ins*ution
• Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya
• Vivekananda Vidya Mandir

Books about

• Swami Vivekananda on Himself
• Life and Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda
• Notes of Some Wanderings with the Swami Vivekananda
• Swami Vivekananda: Messiah of Resurgent India
• Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries
• Pransakha Vivekananda
• Rousing Call to Hindu Nation
• The Master as I Saw Him

Researchers

• Sankari Prasad Basu
• Mani Shankar Mukherjee

• WikiProject
• Commons
• Wikiquote
• Wikisource texts