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Narendra Modi Prime Minister
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the grand festival of Lok Sabha elections, news of the demise of Srimat Swami Smarananandaji brought my mind to a standstill for a few moments. He was a pioneer of India's spiritual consciousness and his passing is a personal loss. A few years ago, the demise of Swami Atmasthanandaji and now the departure of Swami Smarananandaji on his eternal journey has left many people bereaved. My heart, like that of crores of devotees, saints and followers of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, is deeply saddened.
During my visit to Kolkata earlier this month, I had visited the hospital to enquire about his health. Just like Swami Atmasthanandaji, Swami Smarananandaji too dedicated his entire life to spreading the ideas of Acharya Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Mata Sharada Devi and Swami Vivekananda across the world. Even while writing this article, memories of meetings and conversations with him are getting refreshed in my mind.
In January, 2020, during my stay at Belur Math, I meditated in the room of Swami Vivekananda. During that visit, I had a long conversation about Swami Atmasthanandaji with Swami Smarananandaji. It is widely known that I had a close relationship with Ramakrishna Mission and Belur Math. As a seeker of spirituality, I have met different saints and been to many places over a period of more than five decades. Even in Ramakrishna Math, I got to know about the saints who dedicated their lives to spirituality, among whom personalities like Swami Atmasthanandaji and Swami Smarananandaji were prominent. Their sacred thoughts and knowledge provided contentment to my mind.
In the most important period of my life, such saints taught me the true principle of ‘Jan Seva Hi Prabhu Seva’. The lives of Swami Atmasthanandaji and Swami Smarananandaji are an indelible example of the motto of Ramakrishna Mission — ‘Atmano Mokshaartham Jagaddhitaaya Cha’.
We all are inspired by the work being done by Ramakrishna Mission for the promotion of education and rural development. The Mission is working on India's spiritual enlightenment, educational empowerment and humanitarian service. In 1978, when a disastrous flood struck Bengal, Ramakrishna Mission won the hearts of everyone with its selfless service. I remember when an earthquake ravaged Kutch in 2001, Swami Atmasthanandaji was among the first people to call me and offer all possible assistance for disaster management on behalf of
the Ramakrishna Mission. Under his direction, Ramakrishna Mission helped many people who were affected by the earthquake.
Over the past years, while holding various positions, Swami Atmasthanandaji and Swami Smarananandaji laid great emphasis on social empowerment. Those who know the lives of these great personalities will definitely remember how serious these saints were towards modern education, skill-development and women empowerment.
Among his many inspiring traits, one thing that impressed me the most was Swami Atmasthanandaji’s love and respect for every culture as well as tradition. The reason for this was that he used to travel continuously and had spent a long time in different parts of India. He learnt how to speak Gujarati while living in Gujarat. He even used to speak with me in the language and I loved listening to his Gujarati!
At different points in India's development journey, our motherland has been blessed by many seers like Swami Atmasthanandaji and Swami Smarananandaji, who have ignited the flame of societal change. They have motivated us to work with a collective spirit and address all the challenges that our society faces.
These principles are eternal and will act as our source of strength, as we embark on developing a Viksit Bharat during the Amrit Kaal. Once again, on behalf of the entire nation, I pay homage to such saintly souls. I am confident that all the people associated with the Ramakrishna Mission will further move ahead on the path shown by them. Om Shanti.
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