Rama Tirtha
Swami Rama Tirtha | |
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British India | |
Religion | Hinduism |
Nationality | Indian |
Known for | Preaching Vedanta in the United States |
Philosophy | Advaita Vedanta |
Religious career | |
Disciples | |
Alma Mater | Government College, Lahore |
Part of a series on | |
Hindu philosophy | |
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Orthodox | |
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Heterodox | |
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Swami Rama Tirtha
Biography
Rama Tirtha was born in a
A chance meeting with
"As a sannyasi, he neither touched any money nor carried any luggage with him. In spite of it he went round the world."
He always referred to himself in the third person, which is a common spiritual practice in Hinduism in order to detach oneself from Ego.[10]
Though upon his return to India in 1904 large audiences initially attended his lectures he completely withdrew from public life in 1906 and moved to the foothills of the
Many believe he did not die but gave up his body to the river Ganges.[1]
A significant prediction made by Swami Rama Tirtha for future India is quoted in Shiv R. Jhawar's book, Building a Noble World.[11] Rama Tirtha predicted: “After Japan, China will rise and gain prosperity and strength. After China, the sun of prosperity and learning will again smile at India.”[12]
Legacy
Punjabi Indian nationalist Bhagat Singh uses Tirtha as an example of the great contributions Punjab had made to the Indian nationalist movement in his essay "The Problem of Punjab's Language and Script". The lack of memorials to Tirtha is given by Singh as an example of the lack of respect for Punjab's contributions to the movement.[13]
Indian Revolutionary
Two of his disciples, S. Puran Singh and Narayana Swami, wrote biographies. Puran Singh's The Story of Swami Rama: The Poet Monk of the Punjab[10] appeared in 1924 and was published in English as well as in Hindi. Narayana Swami's untitled account was published in 1935 as a part of Rama Tirtha's collected works.[4]
A further account of his life was written by Hari Prasad Shastri and published with poems by Swami Rama Tirtha translated by H P Shastri as 'Scientist and Mahatma' in 1955.[14]
Paramahansa Yogananda translated many of Rama Tirtha's poems from Bengali into English and put some of them to music:[15] one, entitled "Marching Light", appeared in Yogananda's book Cosmic Chants, as "Swami Rama Tirtha's Song".[16]
Contribution of Swami ji towards his mother tongue Punjabi language
The Swami Rama Tirtha Mission Ashram is located at Kotal Gaon Rajpura, near
One of three campuses of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, situated at Badshahi Thaul, New Tehri, is known as the Swami Rama Tirtha Parisar(SRTC).
His sister's son H. W. L. Poonja became a noted Advaita teacher in Lucknow, while Hemant Goswami, his great-grandson, is a social activist based in Chandigarh.
References
- ^ a b c d e Verma, M.L. Swadhinta Sangram Ke Krantikari Sahitya Ka Itihas. Vol 2. pp. 418–421
- ISBN 81-208-1648-X.
- ISBN 1-55643-334-4.
- ^ ISBN 0-7885-0555-6.
- ^ ISBN 0-8387-5144-X.
- ^ Singh, appendix, article from Minneapolis Tribune: Would Save Countrymen: Swami Ram Plans the Redemption of the Ignorant Masses in India—American Education: He Would Have Them Come Here, as Did the Young Japanese.
- ISBN 978-0791476345. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
- ^ Tirtha, Swami Rama (1949) In Woods of God-Realization, Volume V, Preface, p. vii. Lucknow, India: Swami Rama Tirtha Pratisthan.
- ^ Singh, appendix, article from Minneapolis Tribune.
- ^ a b Singh, Puran (1924). The Story of Swami Rama: The Poet Monk of the Punjab. Madras: Ganesh & Co.
- ISBN 978-0-9749197-0-6.
- ^ Tirtha, Swami Rama (1913) In Woods of God-Realization, Volume IV, Chapter “Talk at Faizabad”. Lucknow, India: Swami Rama Tirtha Pratisthan, p. 286.
- ^ Singh, Bhagat. "The Problem of Punjab's Language and Script". Marxist Internet Archive. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ Hari Prasad Shastri (1955, 2nd ed. 2006) Scientist and Mahatma, Shanti Sadan.
- ISBN 978-0-595-38675-8.
- ISBN 978-0-87612-131-3.
Further reading
- Parables of Rama by Swami Rama Tirtha. Rama Tirtha Pratisthan. [1]
- Practical Vedanta Selected Works of Swami Rama Tirtha: Selected Works of Swami Rama Tirtha. 1978, Himalayan Institute Press. ISBN 0-89389-038-3.
- Yoga and the Supreme Bliss : Songs of Enlightenment. Swami Rama Tirtha, 1982, trans. A.J. Alston. ISBN 0-9508019-0-9.
- Life, Teachings And Writings Of Swami Rama Tirtha, by Prem Lata. Sumit Publications, ISBN 81-7000-158-7.
- Swami Rama Tirtha – A Great Mystic Poet of India. [2]
- An article on Swami Rama Tirtha in "The Legacy of The Punjab" by R. M. Chopra, 1997, Punjabee Bradree, Calcutta.
- Sivananda, Swami (2005). "Swami Rama Tirtha (1873–1906)". Life of Saints. Divine Life Society. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
- "Rama In The Eyes of Iqbal". 2010 by Dr. Kedarnath Prabhakar & Dr. Akash Chanda ( ISBN 978-81-921205-0-8)
- "Wehdatnama: A Bouquet of Punjabi Vedantic Poetry of Swami Ramtirtha" 2013 by Dr. Kedarnath Prabhakar & Dr. Akash Chanda ( ISBN 978-81-921205-2-2)
- "Muscular Vedanta: The Practical Form of Vedanta Philosophy Propounded by Swami Ramtirtha". 2011 by Dr. Kedarnath Prabhakar & Dr. Akash Chanda ( ISBN 978-81-921205-1-5)
- "Scientist and Mahatma: The Life and Teachings of Swami Rama Tirtha" (2nd ed. 2006) by Hari Prasad Shastri. Shanti Sadan. ISBN 0-85424-008-X.