Yukteswar Giri

Sri Yukteswar Giri ( Bengali যুক্তেশ্বর গিরী, Yukteśbar Giri, born May 10, 1855 in Serampore, West Bengal, † March 9, 1936 in Puri, India, real name: Priya Nath Karar ) was a renowned yogi and guru. Yukteswar was a member of the Giri branch of the Hindu Advaita Order Dashanami Sampradaya.

Life

Priyanath ( " loving Lord" ) came from a wealthy family. His parents were Kshetranath and Kadambini Devi. He had completed a medical degree and in addition possessed a profound knowledge of the scriptures and the astrology. From 1861 to 1885 he was an employee who was sent into various places of India. After the death of his father, the now very wealthy heir married to the mother's request and was the father of two sons and three daughters.

His spiritual effort had taken him before this time to Lahiri Mahasaya, of which he had been initiated into Kriya Yoga. His house in Serampore, on the outskirts of Calcutta he made to the ashram, under the name Priyadham ( abode of love ) was known. There he discussed with his students, especially the Bhagavad Gita. Among others, Yogananda was trained by him. Other important disciples were Swami Satyananda Giri Matital Thakur and Hariharanandaji.

After the early death of his wife and the marriage of his daughter last Priyanath lived celibate and provided his mother. When Swami Priyanath looked after an encounter with Mahavatar Babaji at the Kumbha Mela in Allahabad, in the month of Magha ( February / March) 1884. From this time he was called Priyanath Swami or Kararswami. It was not until much later he became a sannyasin and was named Swami Shri Yukteshwar: " The merged forever with God and his divine glory and is united ."

Yukteswar's second ashram is the Karar Ashram in Puri, which he had founded on 22 March 1903 as the spiritual particularly favorable prestigious date of the spring equinox. He died there in 1936. Inheritance disputes in the course of the original house was abandoned in Serampore.

The Karar Ashram Yukteswar bequeathed to his successors: first, he was led by Yogananda (22 March 1936 - March 7, 1952 ), after his departure to the West by Swami Satyananda ( until his death on August 2, 1971), followed by Yukteswar youngest pupils personal Hariharanandaji continued to March 22, 1983. Since Hariharanandaji the proliferation of Kriya Yoga in the West particularly turned, took over at that time Swami Yogeswarananda Giri. A desire to award the presidency of the Ashram, the Hariharananda lineage holder Prajnanananda was introduced in 2002, was dismissed in 2006 the courts.

Literary works

Since Yukteswar has dedicated his life primarily the direct training of his students, he has left few written works. In 1894 he wrote in Sanskrit Kaivalya Darshan ( The Holy Science ), which was published in his lifetime under the title The Holy Science in English. He says he wrote the book on behalf of the mythological Mahavatar Babaji. The beginning of the book deals with the four ages, the so-called " Yugas " to provide a basis for the subsequent chapters in which Yukteswar deals with the spiritual development of the human potential. He describes it well - in his opinion - "errors of modern science ", such as by presenting the basis of anatomical examples, that man is by his teeth and digestive structure produces a fruit eaters like the monkey and no omnivores such as the pig or the bear.