Swami Krishnananda Shashtyabdapurti Mahotsava Commemoration Volume
A Souvenir released on Swami Krishnananda's 60th Birthday
A Vedanta Samrat
by Prof. Indrajit Sharma
I have the honour and privilege of knowing Shri Swami Krishnanandaji personally since the year 1947. I am lucky to have enjoyed his love and confidence over all these years.
He is a superb example of single-minded devotion to, and great love for, the work and mission of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji. He has never deviated from the highest standards of rectitude and exactitude in his approach to the problems of human life.
He is known for his high sense of responsibility. For many years, he had been the editor of “The Divine Life”, the monthly organ of the Divine Life Society. I never came across a single spelling mistake in the magazine during all the years of his competent editorship of this journal. He has been discharging the multifarious duties of the General Secretary of the Divine Life Society with ability and distinction. There exists a perfect loving equation between Swami Chidanandaji and Swami Krishnanandaji. Both understand, respect and love each other perfectly well.
Swamiji is a great scholar and prolific writer. It is an intellectual treat to read his books embellished by lucid diction and profound thought. He writes from personal experiences, and as such, his words carry conviction.
Swami Krishnanandaji is a forceful speaker. He can keep huge audiences spellbound by his encyclopaedic range of erudition and ringing oratory. There seems to be an abode of Saraswati in his heart from where well up rare gems of wisdom.
Sri Swamiji, unlike a few prominent disciples of Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji, never thought for a moment of establishing his own separate mission to project his own image. He has stuck to Gurudev's Ashram at Rishikesh with admirable tenacity and rare faithfulness and has made Sivanandashram as his permanent home. He has not gone abroad even once, whereas there is every justification for him to do so. He can bring home the subtle truths of our religion, culture and philosophy to the seeking souls in the West in a much better way than so many others engaged in similar pursuits. He has got a penetrating insight and superb logical faculties. I wish that Swamiji should be persuaded to go abroad and give the benefit of his illumined intelligence to the earnest seekers of God and spiritual life abroad.
Swami Krishnananda is a true Vedanta Samrat. He constantly meditates upon the highest truths of Vedanta and lives those principles in his daily life. His heart is full of love for the suffering humanity. Whenever he gets a chance, he renders some practical help to the needy and the suffering people.
Swami Krishnanandaji is an oasis in the dreary desert of this world. Many earnest devotees and seekers find relief, consolation and wisdom in his inspiring company. He is the favourite, especially of the foreign seekers. They go to him for guidance and illumination. His life is a saga of dedication to the Guru's Mission. He follows his daily routine of Sadhana and work very rigidly.
It is my great good luck to associate myself with the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of revered Sri Swami Krishnanandaji. May God grant him perfect health and long life to serve the suffering mankind for many more years! I wish him many happy returns of the day.