Swami Swahananda was minister and leader of the Vedanta Society of Southern California from 1976 to 2012. In 2009, he personally initiated Prabhuji into the line of discipleship of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, establishing a close and meaningful relationship with him that lasted until his death in 2012. For Prabhuji, it was essential to establish a spiritual bond with the discipleship tradition of Ramakrishna for various reasons. In the first place, his own teacher, Avadhuta Brahmananda Babaji Maharaja, was a fervent devotee of Ramakrishna and Mother Sharada. Furthermore, the mystical experience that Ramakrishna had with Jesus represented an element of great relevance in his inner search.

Swami Swahananda was born in a town near Habiganj, in what is now Bangladesh, and in 1937 he received his initiation from Swami Vijnanananda, who was a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He obtained his bachelor’s degree at Murari Chand College in Sylhet and later a master’s degree in English Literature and Language at the University of Calcutta. In 1947, he joined the Ramakrishna Order and in 1956 he received sannyasa, the final monastic vows.
After joining the Order, he served at the Madras Math and later served as editor of the Order’s academic publication, the Vedanta Kesari. In 1968, he arrived in the United States as assistant minister of the Vedanta Society of San Francisco, and was later appointed director of the Vedanta Society of Berkeley, California. Before moving to the United States, he had directed the Delhi Center, the main center of the Ramakrishna Order in the Indian capital.
In December 1976, he took over as head of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, based in Hollywood. In the late 1980s, he was invited to Moscow to give lectures and provide guidance on Vedantic practices. In addition to his work at the Order’s centers in California, he gave lectures in various parts of North America, promoting the study and practice of Vedanta.
Throughout his life, he wrote numerous works on philosophy, mysticism and religious practice, including Meditation and Other Disciplines, Hindu Symbology and Other Essays and Service and Transcendence. During his time in the United States, he established seventeen centers and subcenters, consolidating the presence of Vedanta in the country and acting as a true ambassador for this tradition. His teachings, characterized by exceptional clarity, his exemplary life and his unwavering integrity continue to be a source of inspiration for generations of seekers.