Pujya Swami Omkarananda Saraswati
Swamiji received great inspiration to indulge in the traditional studies of Vedanta in the ashram of Swami Omkarananda, who was a disciple of Swami Chidbhavananda and Swami Paramarthananda. Swamiji helped in the administration activities of the Sri Vedapuri Ashram founded by this maha acharya in Theni. He was initiated into the studies of Vedanta by Swami Omkarananda in this ashram.
Swami Omkarananda took up the sacred mission of rejuvenating the spiritual values and cultural traditions of India. Born in a family steeped in culture, he adopted the Vedic life style from an early age.
He took his Sanyasa from Pujyasri Swami Chidbhavananda, founder of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaithurai. He studied Vedanta under Pujyasri Swami Paramarthananda, one of the foremost disciples of Pujyasri Swami Dayananda Saraswathi.
Through his eloquent discourses, he drove home the deep insights of the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, that could be comprehended by everybody, even by the uninitiated.
He expounded the essence of some of the sacred texts in Tamil, such as Tevaram, Tiruvachakam, Tirumandiram, Tayumanavar’s hymns, Bharatiyar’s songs and in particular Tirukural.
He was actively engaged in many social activities, contributing to the well being of the society through the two Trusts he had set up – Vedanta Sasthra Prachara Trust and Sri Dakshinamurti Seva Samiti.
Under the auspices of Vedanta Sasthra Prachara Trust, he had successfully developed a settlement called Vedapuri in Theni, on the bank of the river Mullaiyaru and he established the Sri Swami Chidbhavananda Ashramam there.
Under the auspices of Sri Dakshinamurti Seva Samithi, he constructed a magnificent edifice named Adiguru Sri Prajna Dakshinamurti Vidyapitham. He succeeded Pujyasri Santananda Swamigal as the pontiff of Sri Bhuvaneshwari Avadhuta Vidyapitham at Pudukkottai, in the lineage of Sri Dattatreya. He established the Sadguru Santananda Satsangam Trust in Chennai to further enlarge his range of activities for the well being of people.
