Most Revered Swami Vinayakanandaji Maharaj was born and brought up in Bangalore, India. He was born in 1951 to Hindu parents; He often tells, “I was made to be born as Hindu because It includes all religions and is the repository of all religious and spiritual thoughts.” His parents were noble, pious and were one among those rare souls who lived a pure spiritual life with great concern for humanity and seeking human welfare. Swamiji used to tell us “They never spoke to us anything but of God, Spiritual matters, principles and secrets of life and regarding our studies; and equally insisted on service to mankind and acquisition of true knowledge rather than conventional learning”. It was in this divine atmosphere his childhood and early youth was spent. The doors to Metaphysical understanding were open early in his life. Swamiji told us, “I started my Sādhana (Spiritual life) before I could enter my college life. I began my higher life with ‘my own mind-watching’ and observing the life of others and tallying them with human values and human ideals”.
Most Revered Swami Vinayakanandaji Maharaj was born and brought up in Bangalore, India. He was born in 1951 to Hindu parents; He often tells, “I was made to be born as Hindu because It includes all religions and is the repository of all religious and spiritual thoughts.” His parents were noble, pious and were one among those rare souls who lived a pure spiritual life with great concern for humanity and seeking human welfare. Swamiji used to tell us “They never spoke to us anything but of God, Spiritual matters, principles and secrets of life and regarding our studies; and equally insisted on service to mankind and acquisition of true knowledge rather than conventional learning”. It was in this divine atmosphere his childhood and early youth was spent. The doors to Metaphysical understanding were open early in his life. Swamiji told us, “I started my Sādhana (Spiritual life) before I could enter my college life. I began my higher life with ‘my own mind-watching’ and observing the life of others and tallying them with human values and human ideals”.
He said, “By the time I came to the final year of my graduation I came to know the meaning and purpose of human life. I understood without living for higher Ideals, life becomes purposeless, and without attainments life becomes meaningless.” We have heard him saying, “My parents and the wise elderly people of those days whom I met, repeatedly pointed out to the striking factors of this world, Viz., impermanency of all that exists in this relative plane and uncertainty pervading it. And they never hesitated in pointing out the vanity of worldly enjoyments and their pursuits that are causes of all evil and sin in the society and bondage and suffering for the individual soul. I too realized its truth soon and developed the firm conviction that: (i) Life in the world must be according to Dharma — righteousness and legitimacy, and in harmony with Nature, God and society; (ii) The only purpose of human life is to realize God and serve mankind.”
He finished his graduation in Science (BSc) in the year 1971. By that time he had already decided to renounce the worldly pursuits and take to monastic life with the twin ideal of Swami Vivekananda — ‘Atmano Mokshartam’ and ‘Jagad hitaya’. But the family circumstances demanded his care and loving services till his next brother took up the charge of the home. In 1976 he got initiated into Spiritual life with Mantra Diksha from Most Revered Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj, the 10th President of the Ramakrishna Order. He formally renounced and joined Sri Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1977 at their Bangalore Centre. After his joining the Order, for the next 14 years he patterned his life along the supreme ideals of Renunciation and Service. Under the guidance and company of all renounced great stalwarts of Sri Ramakrishna Math and Mission, he started serving the institution in various ways and in various capacities in different parts of India. It was not disgust in life, neither of fear of the world, nor with contempt for the world that he renounced; it was the burning fire within, longing for God and higher life. He had overgrown the family limits and was on his inner journey that makes him embrace the entire world. He received His Brahmacharya Diksha from Most Revered Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj, the 10th President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. For a brief period he had retired to the Narmada forests in Madhya Pradesh for Tapas. He was initiated into the Holy Order of Sannyasa in 1987 by Most Revered Swami Gambhiranandaji Maharaj, the 11th President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. He went for Tapasyā again in 1987-88 for One and Half (1 ½) years and came back to serve the order, devoting himself and his all time — day in and day out — to spiritual pursuits.
At the end of 14 years of his service to the Great Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, finally seeing that the purpose of life has not yet been fulfilled and Sādhanā has not ended, he was inspired to practice intense Tapasya in order to achieve the Supreme Goal of Human Life, God Realization as told by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Deva. Taking due permission and blessings from the Senior Monks of the Order, he left the order and went to Tapasya in the year 1989. He entered into solitude in the dense Churna forest of the Satpura Ranges in Madhya Pradesh situated on banks of River Narmada. He got settled in a place of complete isolation free from any human inhabitation, surviving on the naturally available fruits and roots and a bag of beaten rice which would be delivered to him once in every 2 or 3 months by a generous forest officer. Having spent four and half years in such a manner and 5 years on the proper Banks of River Narmada, and went to Himalayas to continue the Tapasya. After spending nearly 12 years totally in Tapasya he came to South India as a mendicant monk and finally came to Udupi in the year 2001 as a part of his sojourns.
Seeing the purity of life, and the noble desire to love and serve all beings manifested in his person, a group of devotees decided to renounce and lead their life along the twin Ideals of self-salvation and service of the world under his guidance. This lead to the genesis of the current “Bailur Math” group of institutions and this Ashrama. It is the life transforming life of Revered Swami Vinayakanandaji Maharaj, who not only inspired us, but made us undergo radical transformation from life in the world to life divine in God; from self-centred living to a life of sacrifice, to love and serve all beings. Filled with Universal Love, Compassion, Knowledge of Science and Technology, matchless capacity to plan, design, implement work and accomplish, absolute perfection, humility, beautiful character and personality above all, a motherly heart, he transformed us.
Most Revered Swamiji is a unique motivator, loving and powerful trainer, creative and skilled in all aspects of human evolution. His writings, sayings and explanations are backed by his own spiritual attainments and Divine Promptings. Currently he is with us at Bailur Ashrama, but his heart rests with God and the mankind at Global levels. We have found him constantly striving for uniting the entire humanity and the Nation. He covers all aspects of spirituality and religions and highly scientific in approach. He milks every scripture and feeds us with the nourishing aspect of Spirituality. To know him is to know our ancient India. He stands aloof as an uninvolved silent inspirer radiating pure spirituality correcting us when we err, and nursing and nourishing our spiritual infancy.