Vimalananda

Pre-monastic life

Khagendranath Chatterjee was born in a Hindu Brahmin family in 1872. His father, Benimadhav Chatterjee, was an engineer. His cousin Haripada Chatterjee, later Bodhananda, was also a monastic disciple of Vivekananda. He was interested in philosophy and spirituality from an early age and by the time he joined Ripon College, he was the leader of a group actively pursuing a spiritual life. Also in the group was Kalikrishna, later Virajananda, another monastic disciple of Vivekananda and a president of the Belur Math. In 1890 he passed his matriculation examination and earned a scholarship. He continued with his First Arts studies in Ripon College. Khagen was initiated to Ramakrishna's ideals by reading a collection of his teachings by Sureshchandra Dutta and a biography of Ramakrishna by Ram Chandra Datta.They visited Kankurgachhi Yogodyan on the occasion of celebrating Ramakrishna's birth festival by Ramchandra Dutta. In Ripon College he came in close contact with Mahendranath Gupta, (called M), the author of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, who was then a professor in the same college. M inspired them to visit the monastic disciples of Ramakrishna in Baranagar Math. In 1892 he went to Jayrambati and met Sarada Devi. He was later initiated by her into spiritual life. He gave up his studies on account of poor health and spent more time in the monastery in the company of the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.

Monastic life

In 1897 he met Vivekananda when the latter returned from the West and became a disciple. In 1898 he was sent to Mayavati to manage the affairs of the Advaita Ashrama. Vimalananda joined Swami Virajananda as one of the workers of the Mayavati Ashrama. Swami Vivekananda was full of praise for Vimalananda's command of English language. He was involved in editing Prabuddha Bharata. Vimalananda became engaged in work as well as spiritual practices. His health which was generally sickly improved in the hilly climate. Swami Vivekananda visited Mayavati in 1901 after the demise of Capt. Sevier. During this period a small shrine was set up by Vimalananda and others for worshiping Sri Ramakrishna with rituals, flowers, incense and other offerings. Swami Vivekananda disapproved of ritualistic worship in Advaita Ashrama which was in his ideal a non dualistic institution. Vimalananda wrote to the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi seeking her opinion in this matter. However she confirmed that Advaitism was the highest ideal of the Ramakrishna Order, that every member of the order was Advaitin and what Swami Vivekananda did or said in this matter was right. Vimalananda's doubts were thus put to rest.

He came to Allahabad together with his brother disciple Swami Swarupananda and gave some lectures on Vedanta. He came back to Mayavati as his health broke down. He went to Chennai to remain in the company of Swami Ramakrishnananda for a few months. He went to Bangalore to help Swami Atmananda (Shukul Maharaj) to help him run the newly established Bangalore Ashrama. In 1906 Swami Swarupananda died. Vimalananda therefore returned to Belur Math and turned down offers to visit Vedanta Societies of New York and San Francisco. In later part of 1906 he returned to Mayavati with Mrs. Sevier. Returning there he got engaged in the editing work of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. In February 1908 he was detected with Tuberculosis which was then incurable.

After a brief of illness he died on 24 July 1908. Eulogizing him after his death, Swami Saradananda, the then secretary of Belur Math wrote in Udbodhan, Oh Man! Will you be able to comprehend this offering by a faithful and devoted disciple of his heart's blood to the lotus feet of his chosen Ideal, this offering of spontaneous love completely devoid of selfish motive or hope of reward, his silent and unassuming worship from his heart away from the public gaze?